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Auction: 3024 - The Slaney Collection of English Coins
Lot: 20

Edward VI, third period, fine issue, Crown, 31.04g., 1551, m.m. y, king crowned and in armour with a sword over his shoulder, galloping right on richly caparisoned horse, date below, reads fra hiber, rev. long cross fourchée over royal shield, large lis in quarters, :posui deum:a diutor e':mev'.y: (Lingford dies E-10; N.1933; S.2478), a perfect specimen, deeply toned, beautifully struck and in exceptionally high relief, believed to be the finest known Estimate £8,000-10,000 provenance: B Bartlett, Gerard, 25 April 1787, lot 34 (part) Rev. R Southgate, collection purchased en bloc by S Tyssen S Tyssen, Sotheby, 12 April 1802, lot 2182 A Edmonds, Sotheby, 24 March 1834, lot 202 Lieut. Col. W Durrant, Sotheby, 19 April 1847, lot 410 ("in the most desirable state of preservation, and presumed to be the best extant") G Sparkes, Sotheby, 2 February 1880, lot 149 W Brice, collection purchased en bloc by H Montagu, 1887 ("matchless in any collection") H Montagu, Sotheby, 11 May 1896, lot 837 ("in brilliant condition") J G Murdoch, Sotheby, 31 March 1903, lot 509 ("in brilliant preservation", realised £43-0-0) H M Lingford, Glendining, 24 October 1950, lot 20 ("believed to be the best known specimen") Edward VI crowns, even in extremely fine condition, are usually struck in low relief and do not exhibit the almost medallic quality of this specimen, which would have required several precise blows of the hammer to achieve. The crown, as a denomination, was first issued in 1551 and it might be tempting to regard this coin as a proof striking. However while the die combination E-10 is rare, both the obverse and reverse are normal currency dies. The obverse, Lingford die E distinguished by the three pellets after REX, is scarce but was combined with reverse dies 8, 9, 10 and 20. The reverse, Lingford die 10, is known with obverse dies A, C, E and F, an example of the last being Van Roekel, lot 1. It is probable that this example is a currency piece which has been struck with unusual care for presentation purposes.

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£36,000