First issue of Fine Gold, Sovereign of Thirty Shillings, mm. lis [1 January 1559 to 31 July 1560]

ELIZABETH : D’· G’· ANG’· : FRA’· Z : HIB’ : REGINA · .
Queen seated on ornamented throne, holding orb and sceptre; back of throne adorned with fine lattice work enclosing pellets, pillars decorated with five pellets, unchained portcullis below breaking ornate tressure

· A · . DNO’· FACTV’· EST · ISTV’· Z : EST : MIRA’· IN : OCVL’· NRIS
Royal arms in centre of Tudor rose

15.39g/237.6gr/9h

Holloway 03-03-002 [of 4 coins with this die combination recorded by the late owner]; Brown/Comber A1; SCBI Schneider 729-30, same rev. die; RCL 1948, same dies [= Spink 208, 664]; Comber 1, same dies; N 1978; S 2511

Extremely fine and round, practically as struck, considerable mint bloom, very rare, one of the first Sovereigns struck in the reign and an exceptional coin; only eight Sovereigns known with this mint-mark, of which this is arguably the finest £60,000-£80,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The George Holloway Collection of Fine Sovereigns of Elizabeth I.

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Collection

Provenance:
W. Gott Collection, Sotheby Auction, 12-13 July 1866, lot 84
S. Addington Collection
H. Montagu Collection, Part III, Sotheby Auction, 13-20 November 1896, lot 31