Scotland 1701 1/2 pistole
This specimen was lot 31307 in Heritage sale 3089 (Dallas, TX, January 2021), where it sold for $33,600. The catalog description[1] noted, "Scotland. William II (III) gold 1/2 Pistole (6 Pounds) 1701 AU53 NGC, Edinburgh mint. Struck using gold dust imported by the Darien Company from South Africa. A companion issue half the size of the 12 pounds piece, this 1/2 pistole exhibits the same storied history as its larger counterpart, though features a slightly different version of the Darien Company's badge given the reduced flan size and more limited space for design. As usual, the strike is a bit off-center, but is wholly consistent with how these examples were produced and subsequently encountered. The surfaces as a whole feature only slight, gentle wear, with a tremendous degree of luster remaining as well as yielding an enchanting reddish hue throughout. A few minor natural flan flaws near the edges are noted, but are hardly distracting and do nothing to detract from its charm and beauty. Less than half a dozen have come up for sale in recent memory, and none are as exquisite as the present specimen. The most recent, an example from the Adams Collection, considered a 'good fine' with some scattered marks and flan flaws, realized a hammer of $8,500 in late 2015. Ex. Douglas Collection (Spink Auction 119, March 1997, Lot 328). From the Penn Collection." William III was the last ruler to strike gold coins specifically for Scotland with this half pistole and a full pistole (Fr-60), both rare. During the reign of queen Anne, the Act of Union merged the two governments and Scottish coinage ended.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 3.44 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 3.41 g.
Catalog reference: KM 145, Fr-61, S-5677, Burns-pg. 521, 2 (Fig. 1079), SCBI XXXV-1733-4.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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.
- 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.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, Heritage Auction 3089: NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum & Signature Auction - Dallas, featuring the Cape Coral Collection of European Crowns and the Penn Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2020.
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