★ An Iconic Coin with a Distinguished Pedigree ★

Great Britain, Tudor. Henry VIII (1509-1547) AR Testoon of Twelve Pence. Tower (London) mint, third coinage, struck 1544-47. ✠ ⚜ ҺЄNRIC’ ˣ VIII’ ˣ DЄI’ ˣ GRA’ ˣ AGL’ ˣ FRA’ ˣ Z ˣ HIB’ ˣ REX, facing crowned bust of Henry wearing ruff and mantle / ✠ ⚜ POSVI ⁑ DЄVM ⁑ ADIVTORIVM ⁑ MЄVM ⁑ ⚜, crowned Tudor rose; crowned Һ to left, crowned R to right. Stewartby type A, page 525; North 1841; SCBC 2364. 7.43g, 31mm, 8h.

Near Extremely Fine; well centred and exceptionally well struck for this earlier Testoon. Very Rare; particularly so in this exemplary condition, and among the very finest known examples. Certainly the equal of Spink 4002, lot 92 example hammered for (£30,000 = USD55,000) in 2004.

This coin published in Antiques Trade Gazette, Coins and Medals column by Richard Falkiner, 21 April 2001;
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Ex Roger Shuttlewood Collection, Spink & Son Ltd, Auction 151, 15 March 2001, lot 155;
Ex Frederick George Hilton-Price Collection, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 17-19 May 1909, lot 96;
Ex John Gloag Murdoch Collection, Part I, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 31st March 1903, lot 444 (hammer: £12);
Ex Adam Black Richardson Collection, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 22nd May 1895, lot 119, (hammer: £5/10/-);
Ex James Gibbs (1825-1886) Collection, acquired by Spink and Son Ltd before 1891;
Ex 4th Earl of Pomfret, General Thomas William Fermor (1770-1833) Collection, sold privately to London dealer Harry Osborn Cureton.