Scotland 1677 1/4 merk
This specimen was lot 73279 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, May 2023), where it sold for $456. The catalog description[1] noted, "SCOTLAND. 1/4 Merk (1/16 Dollar), 1677. Edinburgh Mint. Charles II. PCGS AU-55. An alluring near-Mint minor, yielding only slight handling upon the high points and some enchanting pastel toning in the fields." This type was struck 1677-81 and 1677 is the most common date. A merk was forty Scottish shillings, making this coin ten shillings. The exchange rate between Scottish and English coinage varied but during this reign, 60 shillings = one English crown. That would make this coin slightly less than an English groat (fourpence).
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.70 g, 0.916 fine silver.
Catalog reference: S-5624; KM-116.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of Scotland, Ireland and the Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Man & Lundy), Pre-Decimal Issues, 2nd edition, London: Spink & Son, 2003.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of the Coins of Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands & Isle of Man, London: Coincraft, 1999.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, May 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, Featuring the Richard Elliott Collection of Hooknecks, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.
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