Stack’s April 22-23, 2009 Rosemont, Illinois Sale

Stack’s is proud to present the Firth of Clyde Collection of Scottish Coins for public auction on April 23, 2009 in Rosemont, Illinois. This extensive collection provides a fascinating cross section of Scottish history that spans the 13th through the 18th centuries, with a nicely balanced selection of both gold and silver issues.

The 15th and 16th century coinage offered here provides a particularly exciting opportunity, with some of the most historic and beautiful pieces of the collection hailing from this time period. To describe this collection as merely significant is to vastly understate its importance—the Firth of Clyde Collection represents a unique opportunity to acquire high quality examples from the rarest series in the Scottish numismatic legacy.

This collection is studded with formidable rarities from every significant time period, beginning with William I, “the Lion,” and his reign from 1165 to 1214. Laden with early issues from the 13th and 14th centuries, the offering includes a scarce Halfpenny of John Baliol, an important historical figure whose demise helped to inspire the famous William Wallace.

This Halfpenny, choice for the series, is a rare variety within this scarce type and features a solid portrait. Issues of Robert III, the son of Robert II who founded the Stuart dynasty that would retain a solid hold on power until the death of Anne in 1714, feature a pair of historic Gold Lions. The first is an attractive About Very Fine example from the heavy coinage period, and the second, a lovely example from the light coinage period, is also in About Very Fine condition.

Fifteenth century coinage offers a dazzling array of issues, highlighted by a wonderful James III Rider. This Choice Very Fine example offers tremendous appeal for both its distinctive beauty and its status as a classic cornerstone of Scottish numismatics. This coin is immediately followed by a Half Rider, a pleasing, diminutive coin that is a great rarity in its own right, and would also make an excellent mate to the Rider. James IV issues include four examples of the fascinating Half Unicorn denomination, and his son, James V, is depicted in splendid Renaissance fashion on the 1540 Ducat or “Bonnet piece,” the first dated issue of the British Isles.

The Firth of Clyde collection presents four coins from Scotland’s most famous monarch, Mary Queen of Scots. The most important of these four is certainly the 1555 Three Pound piece, a legendary gold rarity featuring the earliest numismatic portrait of the ill-fated Queen. In Fine condition, this coin’s significance simply cannot be overstated. Mary’s son King James VI was also a significant historical figure, forever altering the relationship between Scotland and England when he acceded to the English throne as James I in 1603. His reign is amply represented in this collection, perhaps best so by the remarkable 1588 Thistle Noble, a high grade and visually arresting example of this intricately designed coin, struck in the same year as England’s famed encounter with the Spanish Armada.

Later Scottish issues, which are considerably more difficult to find in high grade then their English counterparts, offer many excellent opportunities with coins that are uniformly high quality throughout. A fairly broad selection of Charles I coinage proffers several important highlights, like the Choice Gold “Briot” Unit graded Extremely Fine, as well as the particularly nice example of the rare Gold Half Unit in Choice Very Fine. Silver issues from this reign are well represented by the stunning 30 Shillings in Extremely Fine condition. Following the coins of Charles I, this collection offers pieces from the reigns of Charles II up through Anne, and then concludes with a “1716” (1828) Guinea of the Old Pretender, and a rare Dalzell Farm countermark on a French 1810-A 5 Francs.

The Firth of Clyde Collection will go under the hammer on Thursday, April 23, 2009, so make arrangements to attend in person or be sure to send us your bids well ahead of time. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to acquire a piece of this important collection! You can browse the lots online by heading to this page. For any additional information regarding the sale of the Firth of Clyde Collection of Scottish Coins, including bidding assistance and catalogue requests, please contact Chris Karstedt or Marissa Lederman.

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