Undated (ca. 1616) Sommer Islands Shilling. BMA Type I, W-11460. Small Sails. Fine-12 (PCGS).
A wholesome and attractive specimen with a fine old provenance. This was described in the 1987 Norweb sale as "Very typical condition for the denomination. No trace of silvering remains, and the surfaces are spotted with verdigris. Nevertheless, a mostly full hog and obverse legend; SO weak but distinguishable, second S always seen weakly struck, if visible at all. Mostly full ship, with massive break in the center of her hull here somewhat more advanced than often seen. Slightly out of round, but without affecting anything important on the coin." This is one of 12 examples of the Small Sails variety listed in the Bermuda Monetary Authority's Coins of Bermuda, where this is specimen #5. That list is not exhaustive, however, and does not include the 1984 Connecticut Historical Society sale specimen (sold most recently by us in November 2020 as PCGS EF-40 at $60,000), nor the less detailed specimen we offered in March 2020. That piece, though also graded Fine-12 (PCGS), showed substantially less hogge. There may be as many as 20 of these around, but most are less visually appealing than this one. All the legends are present, MMER ISLANDS are bold, the ship is well defined and showing a fairly early die state, the denomination is crisp, and the hogge is complete. It would be very challenging to acquire a nicer example in this grade range, and overall this one surpasses coins graded far finer.
PCGS# 6.
From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier ex Mrs. Emery May Norweb Collection, acquired November 1956; our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Norweb Collection, Part I, October 1987, lot 1144; Lawrence R. Stack Collection, November 2006.

Estimate: $35000