The Finest Graded Gold Spur Ryal of King James I with a Superb Provenance

James I (1603-25), fine gold Spur-Ryal of Fifteen Shillings, third coinage (1619-25), crowned facing lion supporting quartered shield of arms, holding sceptre, value either side, X to left, V to right, legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark spur rowel (1619-20) both sides, IACOBVS D: G: MAG: BRIT: FRA: ET HI: REX., rev. rose on sun with sixteen rays at centre, cruciform crowned fleur de lis, crown over lion in each angle, all within a tressure of eight arcs, pellet in each spandrel, A DNO : FACTVM EST ISTVD ET EST MIRABI:, weight 6.26g (Schneider 79; N.2109; S.2634). Crisply struck with appealing copper red tone, a superb example, one tiny short hairline to right of top lis on reverse field otherwise practically as struck, extremely rare this well preserved, has been graded and slabbed by PCGS as MS63.

PCGS certification 792971.63/36045672.

James I was the first King of both Scotland and England, and therefore was the first to style himself as King of Great Britain. It is thought the lion design of this Spur-Ryal was inspired by the earlier coinage of the James VI Scottish lion Noble of 1584-88.

The fine gold denominations of the third coinage of James I were ordered by an indenture of 20th August 1619 specifying the gold Spur-Ryal at Fifteen Shillings face value, the example offered herewith being of the first mint mark of the issue. We note the fine gold output for this mint mark for all denominations was only £1,047 of which the Spur-Ryal was a proportion. This is the second smallest output amongst the mint marks of James I’s third coinage.

Provenance:
Ex Bridgewater House Collection, Sotheby, 15th June 1972, lot 86.
Ex Spink Coin Auction 30, 3rd June 1983, lot 580.
Ex A. L. Lloyd Collection, Spink Coin Auction 160, 9th October 2002, lot 1067.
Ex Davissons Auction 19, Minnesota, 1st May 2003, lot 14.
Ex Goldberg Auction 59, Hollywood USA, 1st June 2010, lot 3081.
Ex Clearwater Collection of Exceptional English and Ancients, Classical Numismatic Group, Auction 312, 9th October 2013, lot 32.
Ex NGSA, 30th Anniversary Sale, Auction 10, Switzerland, 3rd December 2018, lot 247.