Lot 3
(1659) Lord Baltimore Shilling Breen-64 Rarity-6. PCGS graded EF-40. Variety with a large head and the point of the shield between the M & V. Glossy dark steel with light silvery toning covering the highpoints and legends. The surfaces are smooth and the planchet is free of any flaws or significant marks other than the always present clashmarks off the right side of the shield. The only defects are a few very faint hairlines on the face and in the field to the left, but it takes a strong glass to find them. Nicely struck except for minor weakness along the profile of the face (presumably the likeness of Cecil Calvert, who successfully fought the government in England for the right to strike his own coinage for the Maryland colony). The obverse is slightly off center to K-3 leaving several letters of the legend tight to the edge of the planchet, but the legends remain strong and easily readable on both sides. These pieces were struck to order in England in 1659 and received in the Maryland colony early the following year where they were used in everyday commerce until they disappeared from circulation around 1700. The example offered here is an attractive example of a very important artifact from our early colonial history. Pop 32.
Estimated Value $15,000 - 18,000.
The Mark Gordon Collection.
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| Realized $14,663 |
