Lot 1947
Great Britain. Lima Sixpence, 1746. George II, Old laureate and draped Bust. S-3710A; KM-582.3. This is one of the finest examples seen of the Lima-hallmarked sixpence, which was coined from silver seized at sea by Admiral Anson on his global voyage in search of Spanish treasure. It's a great sea story, told many times in many sources, and fictionalized by Patrick O'Brian in the novel called "The Golden Ocean." The specie taken by Anson had been mined at the rich silver town of Lima, Peru, and was enroute to Spain when it was captured by the British and shipped to Portsmouth, where a great enclave of Englishmen met it and the returned navalmen. The silver specie was minted into sixpence, shillings, halfcrowns and crowns; the small amount of gold, into half-guineas, guineas and five-guineas. Most of the coins were readily spent during the era; few of any denomination survive today in this remarkably fresh condition. Superb Gem Uncirculated, splendid light silvery gold iridescent surfaces, and super-sharp in strike. PCGS graded MS-66.
Estimated Value $750 - 900.
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| Realized $978 |
