Scotland, John Baliol Penny, Mule 1st rough and 2nd smooth coinage

Scotland, John Baliol (1292-6), silver Sterling Penny, St Andrew's mint, mule of first coinage rough surface obverse with the reverse of the smooth surface - second coinage, bust left with sceptre, legend surrounds IOhANNES DEI GRA, rev. two mullets of five points in the first and fourth quarters, two stars of six in others, reads CIVITAS SANDRE, weight 1.37g (cf. SCBI 35 [Scottish], 295; cf. Burns 15 fig 218 dies s12/so; S.5067/5072). Fully centred strike nicely toned with some of the original red plate coin wax at twelve o'clock, elements of the portrait pleasing, reverse well defined and clear, good fine for issue, reverse good very fine, an extremely rare mule, with an exceptional blueblood provenance trail.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on obverse "John by the grace of God, and on the reverse as "City of Saint Andrews".

When Burns was writing in the 1880s the St Andrews Mint mule Sterling was only known as part of Thomas Coat's Ferguslie Collection, now in the Hunterian Museum.

Provenance:

Ex Rev. John Hutton Pollexfen (1813-99), Sotheby's, 26^th June, 1900, lot 206 part - purchased by dealer Rollin.

Purchased from dealer Francis Edward Wheelan of 6 Bloomsbury Street, London agent of Rollin, 9^th February, 1905.

Ex Richard Cyril Lockett, Scottish Part II, Glendining, 26^th October 1960, lot 782 part, with his ticket, purchased by A. H. Baldwin.

Ex Clonterbrook Trust, Glendining, 7^th June 1974, lot 310 sold for £150.

Ex Dolphin Coins, 1992, Sovereign Fixed Price List 2, item 1311.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on obverse "John by the grace of God, and on the reverse as "City of Saint Andrews".

When Burns was writing in the 1880s the St Andrews Mint mule Sterling was only known as part of Thomas Coat's Ferguslie Collection, now in the Hunterian Museum.

Provenance:

Ex Rev. John Hutton Pollexfen (1813-99), Sotheby's, 26^th June, 1900, lot 206 part - purchased by dealer Rollin.

Purchased from dealer Francis Edward Wheelan of 6 Bloomsbury Street, London agent of Rollin, 9^th February, 1905.

Ex Richard Cyril Lockett, Scottish Part II, Glendining, 26^th October 1960, lot 782 part, with his ticket, purchased by A. H. Baldwin.

Ex Clonterbrook Trust, Glendining, 7^th June 1974, lot 310 sold for £150.

Ex Dolphin Coins, 1992, Sovereign Fixed Price List 2, item 1311.