Description
Elizabeth I (1558-1603), Pattern Shilling, initial mark large key (1595-98), beaded and wire line inner circles both sides, elaborate bust left with squat narrow crown, eight pearls to the outer arch, emblems in crown consisting of a cross pattee at centre with fleur de lis either side, long flowing hair, legend surrounds ELIZAB D G ANG FR ET HIB REGI. Rev, mintmark small key, long cross fourchée over heavily garnished shield, reads POSVI DEV ADIVTOREM MEV, 32mm, 6.24g (N.2044/2045; Brown & Comber P5).
Light grey toning, bold clear legend inscriptions with a precise and complete mintmark, portrait and bodice all struck up using specially prepared dies, few fine scratches in obverse fields. Toning spot below the R in Regi. Reverse, quartered coat of arms emblems most impressive and much as struck, superb. Good extremely fine, of the highest rarity, believed three known. This the finest example when compared and contrasted to the Norweb piece (Spink 48, 1985, lot 371) . First rate, with a an exhaustive provenance dating back to the reign of George III.
ex. J. Browne, Gerrards, 18 March, 1791, third day, lot 26
S. Tyssen, Sotheby’s, 12 April 1802, lot 1822
M. Trattle, Sotheby’s, 30 May 1832, lot 304
Lt. Col. W. Durrant, Sotheby’s, 19 April 1847, lot 492
Rev. J. W. Martin, Sotheby’s, 23 May 1859, lot 214
S. Rostron, Sotheby’s, 16 May 1892, lot 177
J. G. Murdoch, Sotheby’s, 31 March 1903, lot 658
W. C. Hazlitt, Sotheby’s, 5 July 1909, lot 1080
SNC, August – September 1942 – 15794
The Marshall Collection, Spink Auction 167, 31 March 2004, lot 106
‘Some notes on the coinage of Elizabeth I with special reference to her hammered silver’ I. D Brown
[BNJ 28, 1955-57, pp 587].
116. “Varieties have privy-mark on either side over Woolpack. A fine series of pattern shillings occur bearing the privy-mark Key (inverted). These are quite distinct from the normal shillings, having a completely different set of dies and punches. In style they resemble the gold coin of this period. They are probably contemporary with the normal Key shillings.”
