British Coins

Elizabeth I, sixth issue, ‘crown gold’ coinage, half pound, mm. tun (1593-94), crowned bust 7B left, ELIZAB D G ANG FRA ET HIB REGINA, rev. crowned shield of arms, E R at sides, SCVTVM FIDEI PROTEGET EAM, pellet stops, wt. 5.63gms. (S.2535; N.2009; cf. Schneider 808; Brown & Comber G21), a superb piece, boldly struck and perfectly centred, bold legends and nearly complete outer rim beading, with mint hue, good extremely fine
*ex Clarendon, Pt. 2, Bonhams, 17 October 2006, lot 1011
Splendidly engraved, this wonderful coin features a stunning portrait of Elizabeth and a far more refined royal shield than that seen on the previous coin. The legends, also outstanding in sharpness, indicate a different engraver at work—the spacing more compact, with the result that the reverse legend ends short of meeting the left portion of the crown. It would be difficult to locate a more visually appealing example.