Lot 3664
Great Britain. Rose Ryal or Thirty Shillings, ND. S.2632; Fr-239. James I, 1603-1625. Third coinage (1619-1625). Mint mark spur rowel. Crowned figure of King, enthroned, facing, holding orb and sceptre, portcullis at feet dividing legend as King's crown divides it at top. In the field an intricate pattern of roses and lis insignia. Reverse: Within a Biblical legend in Latin, a long cross over the shield of arms, with the mark of value (XXX) above. Inside the circular legend and surrounding the shield, a band decorated by images of lis, lions and roses. The Latin legend translates as: 'This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes'. A particularly well made example of one of the most detailed and spectacular of all British hammered gold coins, this specimen is evenly struck and well centered on a flan which appears to have been just slightly crimped during the striking process. The mint mark suggests that the coin was struck in 1619-1620, approximately 5 years before the death of the King. Extremely Fine or better.
** The son of the ill-fated Mary queen of Scots, James I of England (James VI of Scotland) had developed as a good politician in Scotland, maneuvering power block against power block, but he had been dealing with a far weaker Parliament than the assembly he found at Westminster. To counter Parliament he chose to rule through ministers and favorites, the last of whom was George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. The Duke, in his early twenties, was given the post of chief minister and personal emoluments of some £30,000 per year ($55,000) in cash from the king! But Parliament (The 'Commons of England') asserted the necessity for its agreement, if not control, in matters of finance and foreign policy and declared that their privileges were the undoubted birthright and inheritance of the subjects of England'. James dramatically went to Westminster and personally tore this declaration out of the Journals of the House. He had set the scene for the English Civil War. On his death in 1625, James' son, Charles I, was to inherit his father's thirst for absolute power and increasingly ran rough-shod over an increasingly restless Parliament.
Estimated Value $16,500 - 18,500.
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| Realized $18,400 |
