One of the delights of being in this business is that you never know what may “walk in the door “!
Recently, someone walked in to a prominent Montreal coin dealer and auction company, Claude Champagne of Encheres Champagne Auctions, and presented the coin pictured here to his representative, Peter MacDonald. His advice to the client was that this is an important and valuable coin and it should be offered for auction. The customer agreed and it is scheduled to be auctioned on December 5th in Montreal. (Just days away from the writing of this article.)
The coin featured here is a gold one Pound of Elizabeth the First (1558-1603) in absolutely remarkable condition. I was fortunate enough to view this numismatic treasure recently in Montreal and it is one of the nicest coins that I have ever seen . I am thrilled to have the permission of Claude Champagne auctions to share it with our readers.
Elizabeth’s long reign is particularly interesting because of the number and variety of different denominations created over the decades of her rule. During her reign she produced “fine” Sovereigns of 30 shillings with an impressive full length portrait in all her finery with a Tudor rose over Royal Arms on the reverse. She also issued the coin shown here, a gold Pound of 20 shillings in the 1590’s. The coin is rare and is prized by collectors for the fine portrait. The reverse features the crowned Royal arms dividing E R. The legend “SCVTVM FIDEI PROTEGET EAM” translates as “the shield of faith shall protect her.” The mint mark can date the production of this coin very precisely. At one o’clock on both sides is a “woolpack “ and this tells us that this coin was struck between 1594 and 1596 at the Tower mint in London.
While these coins are rare, they do come up for salefrom time to time. Because they are made on thin flans with very high carat gold, they often show wear or damage and are found from VG to EF. To find one in this state of preservation is quite remarkable and I think that it will bring strong bidding!
The coin was sent to NGC in the US for grading and it came back in an MS61 (Mint state) holder. The gold Pound is lot 552 in session 2 on December 5 by Encheres Champagne Auctions with an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000!
To find out what this remarkable coin realized at the auction, please visit www.enchereschapmpagne.com to view the results.
Happy holidays, stay safe and happy hunting in 2022!
