James I gold Thistle Crown of four shillings, mm crescent extremely rare mark

James I (1603-25), gold Thistle Crown of Four Shillings, Tower mint, second coinage, crowned stemmed rose, I to left, R to right, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark crescent (1617-18), · IA; D;G; MA; BR; F; ET· H; REX', rev. crowned thistle with leaves, I to left, R to right, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding, · TVEATVR VNITA · DEVS, weight 1.85g (Schneider 65; North 2096; S.2627). Toned with some light surface marks, a little ragged and chipped at periphery, otherwise weak in parts very fine, an extremely rare mint mark.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "James by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland" and on the reverse as "May God guard these united," referring to his uniting the three kingdoms. Such gold crowns were struck in 22 carat "crown" gold and for the crescent mint mark which was used from 1^st April 1617 until 31^st March 1618 a total of £152,379 worth of crown gold across all the appropriate denominations were struck. A small proportion would be the thistle crown and it seems there are scant few survivors with the mint mark only being first published in the Brooke supplement and the example sold as part of the Lingford Collection of James I in 1951 now being the one in the Schneider Collection, it would seem that this coin is the perhaps the only other one available.

Provenance:

Like ex A. H. Baldwin, Auction 40, 3^rd May 2005, lot 225 part unillustrated.

Ex Dr Rolf Baumhauer, British gold Collection part 3, Sincona Auction 79, 24^th October 2022, lot 1100.