Scotland 1558 testoon S-5416

Jean Elsen sale 145, lot 2156

This specimen was lot 2156 in Jean Elsen sale 145 (Brussels, September 2020), where it sold for €1,100 (about US$1,567 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted,

"GRANDE-BRETAGNE, ECOSSE, François, dauphin de France, et Marie Stuart (1558-1560), AR teston, 1558. D/ Grand écu écartelé aux armes d'Ecosse et Dauphiné, posé sur une croix potencée. R/ Grand monogramme FM couronné entre deux croix de Lorraine. Légère double frappe. Belle patine. presque Superbe. Provient de Bourgey, Paris, septembre 1997. (Great Britain, Scotland, Francis, dauphin of France, and Mary Stuart, 1558-60, silver teston of 1558. Obverse: large shield quartered with the arms of Scotland and Dauphine over a cross potent; reverse: large crowned "FM" monogram between two crosses of Lorraine. Nice patina, about Extremely Fine.)"

This teston (or testoon in Scots) was issued during Francis and Mary's brief marriage which ended with Francis's death in 1560. We don't know whether this was made in France or Scotland; we think the latter, as the French teston was 9.59 grams.

Reported Mintage: unknown.

Specification: silver, this specimen 6,09 g.

Catalog reference: S.5416; Dupl-1039.

Source:

• 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.
• Duplessy, Jean, Les Monnaies Françaises Royales de Hugues Capet à Louis XVI (987-1793), Tome II, 2e édition, Paris: Maison Platt, 1999.
• ^[1]Elsen, Philippe, et al., Vente Publique 145, Brussels: Jean Elsen et ses Fils S.A., 2020.

Link to:

• Scotland 1557 testoon
• Scotland 1558 testoon S-5406 Mary only
• France 1558-A teston
• 1558 60 shillings, Mary and Francis
• Scotland 1560 testoon
• Coins and currency dated 1558