An Uncommonly Nice Edward II Penny
BillJones
Posts: 34,047 ✭✭✭✭✭
The Edward II penny is fairly common, but I have found that higher grade pieces are few and far between. Most of the pieces that I have seen would grade VG using American standards. Up until now I would have called the best I have seen VF.
This one recently cropped up in an auction. NGC called it an AU-58. I'm not so sure about that, but it certainly is an AU, and it grades head and shoulders over any other Edward II penny I have seen. And yes, this piece does have a blue obverse and a more subdued blue on the reverse.
Here is the other Edward II penny in my collection. This is a typical example of what you will find.
Here is the highest grade example I had seen previously. I was an unsuccessful bidder after I saw this piece in an auction.
Edward II was not much of a king.. He was almost certainly gay, but that was not his fundamental problem. He placed is sexual preferences above the interests of England, and that resulted in his downfall.
Comments
Very nice. You won't get a better portrait.
Yes it's hard to get a well-struck Edward II penny. The grade isn't really relevant with these as the strike is usually so poor. I bought this one some time ago as the portrait isn't as bad as most, sacrificing the legends. I intended to upgrade it, but am yet to find a good one.
Edward II Class 11b2 Penny, 1310-1314
Tower. Silver, 18mm, 1.3g. + ЄDWAR’ ANGL’ DNS hyB. CIVI TAS LON DON (S 1456).
Wow great coin Bill! Very expressive portrait.
My current "Box of 20"
With that portrait, I'm imagining him getting tipsy and bashing Bill de Blasio with Anderson Cooper on NYE