View source for Greenock (1821) 4 shillings 6 pence

[[Image:Scotland SB118-21364o.jpg|300px|thumb|from the Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale, lot 21364]]
[[Image:Scotland SB118-21364r.jpg|300px|thumb]]

This specimen was lot 21364 in Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale (New York, January 2018), where it sold for $2,160. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, "SCOTLAND. Renfrewshire. Greenock. 4 Shillings, 6 Pence, ND (ca. 1823). PCGS VF-20 Secure Holder. Issued by James and Andrew Muir, haberdashers and straw hat manufacturers. Countermark: 4/6 surrounded by: 'J & A Muir * Greenock *'. Struck on a 1821-ZsRG (Zacatecas Mint) 8 Reales. Established in 1808 James and Andrew Muir expanded their business until they became one of the best know firms in Greenock moving locations several times and acquiring skills to produce new merchandise throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. The firm continued production even after the founders retired sometime around 1840. According to Manville this is the only example of this host for this issuer. RARE with an outstanding provenance. Moderate even wear with lovely old cabinet tone displaying mottled slate and dove grey throughout. Countermark slightly uneven but identifiable. Countermark: VF DETAIL. host coin VF. Ex: DNW Auction September 29, 2010, lot# 1942. Ex: Spink Auction # 59 June 17, 1987; lot # 1637 'Mrs. R. Henry Norweb Collection, Part IV'. Ex: V.M. Brand Collection." Scotland in the early nineteenth century was tearing into the Industrial Revolution and manufactures were eager for coin to facilitate trade. As the Royal Mint could not keep up, many private issues appeared. [[Mexico 1821-Zs RG 8 reales|Spanish dollars]] circulated freely and many of these were countermarked; the SCWC records over a hundred different countermarks. Today they are all rare. This counterstamp is attributed to 1811 but, being placed on an 1821 bust dollar, was actually done later.

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' 27.07 g, .896 fine silver, .780 troy oz ASW (host coin). 

''Catalog reference:'' Manville-59(this piece listed); KM-CC59; Brunk-53250.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed.'', Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
* <sup>[1]</sup>Ponterio, Richard, Kyle Ponterio, John Kraljevich and Cris Chatigny, ''The January 2018 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Eldorado Collection of Colombian and Ecuadorian Coins,'' Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2017.

''Link to:''
* [[Derbyshire (1810) 4 shillings 9 pence]]
* [[Rothsay Mills (1811) 2 shillings 6 pence]]
* [[Rothsay Cotton Works 1820 4 shillings 6 pence]]
* [[Mexico 1821-Zs RG 8 reales]]
* [[Dalzell Farm (1820) 5 shillings]]
* [[Lanarkshire (1811) 5 shillings]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1821]]
* return to coins of [[Great Britain, Scotland]]

[[Category:Selections from the Stack's Bowers 2018 NYINC sale]]