Lot 2164
Great Britain. Silver Briot Sixpence (1631-32). Charles I. S-2855. Nicholas Briot, another French import to the Royal Mint, evidently was not put off by Mestrelle's misfortune working for the Crown under Elizabeth. Or possibly he did not know of the earlier experiment in machine-made coinage. His own work was clearly a departure from the sad state of affairs of a typical working day at the Mint. The coinage was ragged, and most of the engraving disgraceful. Blanks were poorly prepared, split and broken and always oddly shaped. At some point the mint wardens had had enough, and called upon Briot to try his hand. This he did twice, the first time for this First Issue of 1631-32, where he marked his dies with a tiny capital "B" and a flower which resembles a sun's face. The second effort produced, instead, an anchor and "B and appeared 1638-39. The later coins in particular tend to exist with lots of adjustments across their faces, as well as partially weak in strike, evidence that the minting equipment was not perfected, advanced as it was against the hammered-die process. Once again, the hammerers, surely jealous of the new coins, forced the Frenchman from his post, and they continued in their employment, even through the Civil War, for another two decades, when experiments like Briot's finally led to new, satisfactory, and fast minting machinery. Thus coins like this one are from the end of an era, pointing to the next. Here is one of the prettiest examples to be found, with handsome gray toning, very clean surfaces, and the bold appearance that was Nicholas Briot's goal. NGC graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $1,750 - 2,000.
The Cheshire Collection.
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| Realized $3,360 |
