Scotland, James VI 1580 gold Ducat of 80 Shillings, Renaissance style portrait

Scotland, James VI (1567-1625), gold Ducat of Eighty Scottish Shillings of Four Pounds, 1580, Third coinage, cuirassed bust in ruff left, legend and toothed border surrounding bot sides, initial mark crown onobverseonly, .IACOBVS. 6. DEI. GRA. REX. SCOTORVM.,rev.crowned Scottish arms, date either side, EXVERGAT. DE' ET, DISSIP. INIMICI. EIVS. (Burns 2, fig. 948; SCBI 35, 1143, sameobv.die; SCBI 58, 1239, sameobv.die; S 5452).Toned, with a wonderful Renaissance style portrait of James as a boy, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as VF25 though as good as these extremely rare coins come with a fantastic provenance.

NGC Certification 583978-002.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "James the Sixth by the grace of God, King of Scotland" and on the reverse as "Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered."

We note that Burns discusses how many examples were minted and concludes at least 2,194 pieces were struck but that this figure cannot have comprised the whole issue. Today as one of the rarest dated portrait coins of the Scottish series and over a hundred years of hindsight since Burns put pen to paper, the number quoted may not be far off what was struck for this issue in August of 1580.

Provenance:

Ex Alexander Mann, Sotheby, 29th October 1917, lot 453 and plate VIII, sold for £11 to Baldwin

Ex Richard Cyril Lockett, Part V, Scottish and Irish Coins, 18th June 1957, lot 346 sold for £130.

Ex R. Strauss, Sotheby 26th May 1994, lot 123.

Ex Loch Ness Collection, Stacks Bowers Galleries, 16^th August 2021, lot 41515.