William the Lion (1165-1214), Short Cross and Stars coinage, Phase B, Sterling, Phase B, no mint name, Henri le Rus, crude bust left, triangle of pellets before chin, le rei wil[ – ], rev. svrelineh, short voided cross, two stars of six points, two of seven in angles, 1.39g/6h (Jones & Sugden dies E-8; SCBI 35, –; B –, fig. 61B, this coin; S 5031). Obverse about very fine, reverse fine or better, extremely rare and with an important provenance £300-£400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Scottish Coins, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Collection

R.W. Cochran-Patrick Collection; Property of a Gentleman, Christie’s Auction, 4 December 1984, lot 4; Lyon & Turnbull Auction (Edinburgh), 13 February 2008, lot 22; J. Sazama Collection, Part III, DNW Auction 101, 21 June 2012, lot 370

Henri struck a small group of coins which stand apart from those of the main moneyers - Hue, Walter and Raul. Note that the reverse legend is not truly retrograde - the letters are the right way round but placed backwards. Stylistically, they are often crude.