GREAT BRITAIN. Unite (22 Shillings), ND (1618-19). London Mint; mm: plain cross. James I. PCGS Genuine--Graffiti, VF Details.

S-2620; Fr-234; KM-47; N-2085. Weight: 9.80 gms. Obverse: Crowned and armored half-length bust right, holding lis-tipped scepter and orb; Reverse: Garnished coat-of-arms; crown above, I-R across field. A generously sized gold hammered issue, while there is some unfortune minor graffiti in the reverse field at approximately 10 o'clock and a slightly weak strike, this lovely piece has a bit of rustic charm to it. Muted surfaces and good centering make this a solid piece for the British collector.
The son of Mary Queen of Scots, who would later be executed by Elizabeth, James was a Protestant despite his mother’s Catholicism. Having inherited the Scottish throne from Mary, and being the great-great grandson of Henry VII, he was a natural choice for the English throne once Elizabeth died childless. He succeeded her to throne uniting the monarchies of England and Scotland and he is the first Monarch to have two sets of succession numbers attached to his name, one English the other Scottish. James immediately faced challenges to his rule in England, and survived several attempts on his life, most notably the foiled Gunpowder Plot of Guy Fawkes. An increasingly obstinate Parliament limited his aims at ruling, and this would continue long after James. Of note, the King James Bible derives its name from James I for authorizing the translation of the Bible into English in 1607. Jamestown the first permanent English colony in the New World also arose from the name of James the monarch at the time. 

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From the Paul C. Runze Collection.