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Sale 31
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Lot 2083
Great Britain. Henry I (1100-35) silver PAXS Penny. S-1264. N-859. Annulet and trefoil beside the king's portrait. Pair of annulets above and below the central reverse device. Listed as a Very Rare type by North, yet this extraordinary specimen transcends that estimate because of its marvelous quality and sharpness. Hammered specialists may scoff at NGC's grade, translated somehow to numbers, but the fact is that no wear is evident on this coin, which glows with medieval luster beneath a deep-set bluish black patina. The toughest, honest graders in the UK will call this coin Good EF, but as a so-called conservative grade it is still vague in many applications; more than one Mint State coin has hidden under this grade, which has been applied equally to coins with patent wear showing. Could it be that, without adequate magnification and enough care, many cataloguers have simply relied on the blanket acceptance of "Good EF"? Back to the coin itself. The flan is heavy and full, and just about every little detail is well struck up, showing off the classic die-cutting style of its era as well as any coin possibly could. The cataloguer has handled a number of finest-known Anglo-Saxon and other early British coinages, and he agrees completely with the consignor's assessment of this, the ultimate representation of a Norman coin in the Cheshire Collection. The owner states: "Normally this is a crude and weakly struck issue. This particular specimen is probably the nicest Henry I penny seen for a long, long time." The rims are even slightly raised, with no evident wear! Henry I was the fourth son of William the Conqueror, born 1068 on English soil, a mere two years after the decisive conflict with the Anglo-Saxon army at a place now called Battle, near Hastings by the sea along the southern coast of England. He was at first overshadowed by older brothers Robert and William Rufus, who each fell by the wayside over time, leaving the crown to Henry. His reign was largely peaceful and full of dalliance. Henry had some 20 illegitimate children but only one surviving heir, Matilda, who became both Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy; without a male heir, England soon became a place of civil war and anarchy. This magnificent coin is a fabulous memento of those troubled days of yore! NGC graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,250.
The Cheshire Collection.
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| Realized $2,875 |
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