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Auction: 15031 - The Slaney Collection of English Coins - Part 2
Lot: 291

Edward VI (1547-53), second period January 1549 - April 1550, Half-Sovereign, 5.49g, Southwark mint, m.m. Y both sides, inner beaded circle both sides, :scvtvm * fidei * proteget * evm;, rosette stops, bare-headed, cuirassed, bust of the young king right, rev. .edward '. vi : d'. g'. agl'. fra'. z. hib'. rex., small square stops, double after vi, crowned oval shield in cartouche dividing e-r (N.1908; Potter 2b; Schneider 686 (minor var. punctuation); S.2435), a beautifully toned full round coin with the legends very clear both sides, about extremely fine, rare thus

provenance
Purchased from Baldwin, 1945, £22.10/-

The second period of Edward VI's coinage opened with the proclamation of 24 January 1549 which stated that the king, 'to the intent that money might be more plentifully and richly made,' ordered new gold coins to be struck, Sovereigns of 20-Shillings, Half-Sovereigns or Edward Royalls of 10-Shillings, and Crowns and Half-crowns of 5-Shillings and 2-Shillings and Sixpence. The Sovereigns all show the king enthroned, a continuation of the style of the first issue, while the three smaller denominations all show a new half-length portrait in profile. The early issues show the king uncrowned and, unusually, place his name and royal titles on the reverse, while the later issues show a crowned portrait with the name and titles restored to the obverse. The reason for placing the king's name and titles on the reverse of these early issues is not known.

The term 'Edward Royal', used in the Proclamation, was not taken up with any enthusiasm, and these coins are always referred to as Half-Sovereigns.



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Sold for
£10,000