my new old coin... and I'm in love!
DennisH
Posts: 13,996 ✭✭✭✭✭
This just arrived today and even though PCGS didn't put the correct side of the coin facing out, I'm absolutely in love with it! 
When in doubt, don't.
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DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." -Luke 11:9
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." -Deut. 6:4-5
"For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us." -Isaiah 33:22
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DPOTD Jan 2005, Meet the Darksiders
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Seriously, a really great coin
Collecting:
Conder tokens
19th & 20th Century coins from Great Britain and the Realm
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Capped Bust Half Series
Capped Bust Half Dime Series
Please tell more about the coin and history pleeaaase.
Andy Lustig lured me out into the open a few months ago with a message board post along the lines of "what coin are you looking for that you just can't seem to find?"
I answered Scotland Ryal (30 shillings) "Sword dollars" issued from from 1567-71 under James VI. Very similar designs were also used on 2/3 and 1/3 Ryals during those years. Andy was very shortly planning to attend a coin show in England and had a dealer friend who has several of these. We picked a couple of dates for him to look for, with the priviso that they certify at PCGS. He brought back two, but this is the only one that went into a holder. I am indebted to him for his courtesy and his thoughtful efforts.
This is an unusually nice coin for two reasons:
1. The planchet is about as round and intact as they ever get, with no flan cracks that are so common for these big coins. The surfaces are extremely smooth and glossy grey/brown. It's unlikely that it hasn't been cleaned at some time in its life, but the current patina looks very, very old and natural.
2. It does not have either of the countermarks that were applied to as many Scottish silver coins as possible in 1575 to curb counterfeiting, and again in 1578 when the bullion price of silver rose so steeply that the coins were worth significantly more than 30 shillings. The second countermark (a thistle) revalued Sword dollars up to 36 shillings and 9 pence.
The obverse legend, which isn't fully struck up in some areas on this coin, translates to "For me, or if I deserve, against me". I know I have a translation of the reverse legend somewhere, but darned if I can find it.
I also have a 1567 Sword dollar, so it looks like I'm officially tring to build a complete set... heaven help me.
If you're making a set you might want to get these suckers reholdered for aesthetics.. and tell them which way is up on the coin!
Here's my dumb question of the day: Why do the Scots use a denomination name like "Ryal"?? Where's it derived from?
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Cool coin and history
<< <i>The obverse legend, which isn't fully struck up in some areas on this coin, translates to "For me, or if I deserve, against me". I know I have a translation of the reverse legend somewhere, but darned if I can find it. >>
Wouldn't it be "James by Grace of God King of the Scots"? Nit-picky point: wouldn't the obverse be the side with the king's name and coat of arms?
<< <i>Why do the Scots use a denomination name like "Ryal"?? Where's it derived from? >>
My really old (1958) Webster's Dictionary says Ryal is a variant of "Royal" and it's use dates back to gold coins of English king Henry VI.
Now you've done it... You've made me pick up the dictionary. What's the cat going to sit on now??
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"
Apparently I have been awarded one DPOTD.