Richard II gold Noble, Tower Mint type 1b, annulet over sail, NGC MS63, Ex Tallent

Richard II (1377-99), gold Noble of six shillings and eight pence, Tower Mint London, type 1b, King standing in ship with upright sword and quartered shield, annulet over sail, beaded circle surrounding, RIC ARDxx DxxGxx REXxx AnGL xZx FRAnCxx Dxx hIBxx Zxx AQ, rev. R at centre of ornamental cross with lis terminals, crowns over lions in angles, all within a beaded and linear tressure, fleurs in spandrels, legend +IhCxx AVTEmxx TRAnSIEnSxx PERxx mEDIVxx ILLORVxx IBAT, last A of legend barred, others unbarred, contraction mark over V of MEDIV, weight 7.70g (Schneider 129; Webb Ware 1b; N.1302; S.1654). Toned, weak on some of the high points, with a decent depiction of the King, straight graded by NGC as MS63.

NGC certification 8222585-001.

We note as of May 2025 that the majority of the 38 of this variety that have been graded at NGC are details coins and this coin currently shares the accolade of being the second finest graded with the only one better being a + grade over. For comparison PCGS have only graded 7 examples of this variety with only one being finer as a 65.

We note there is only one example graded finer at PCGS at time of writing (January 2021).

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Richard by the Grace of God, King of England and France, Lord of Ireland and Aquitaine"; and on the reverse "But Jesus, passing through the midst of them, went His way" taken from the Bible.

Provenance:

Ex St James Auction 4, 8th May 2006, lot 200 and front cover illustration.

Ex Stacks, New York, 24^th April 2008, lot 6.

Ex Golden Horn Collection, Stacks, New York, 12th January 2009, lot 4033.

Ex Stacks, New York, 22nd April 2009, lot 1518.

Ex Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 97, 7th December 2012, lot 248.