As per the title.
I picked up this manky looking 1566 3d with mm. Lion a few years ago. The reverse mark is over portcullis, which was the previous mark, but the obverse mark has a decidedly round underlying feature which is incompatible with anything to do with a portcullis, but would be possible for a rose. At this time, there was a frequent change of mark according to BCW, with Rose running for 6 months ending 31st March 1566, Portcullis from 1st May 1566 to 31st Jan 1566/7 (not sure where April went) and Lion from 1st Feb 1566/7 to 30th June 1567. It is not inconceivable that a rose marked obverse die survived the duration of the portcullis period and that die was then used during lion. Clearly this coin was struck in the first two months of lion before the calendar year end being less than a full year since the closing of Rose, but potentially a couple months less than this. The amount of silver struck in rose for all denominations was running at less than £6000 per month, but this increased to about £8000 per month during the next two marks.
So the question is, does anybody have a 1565 or 1566 threepence with a rose initial mark to compare the dies with this one? The rose in the field behind the head is BCW type 13 as per the book, but 2 of the three die arrangements with mm. Rose used a type 9 or 12 rose behind the head, both of which are smaller than 13 and so could possibly be obliterated by the larger rose type 13. The legend reading ANG FR HI was used on the die with rose type 9 and is also noted in BCW as being rose over pheon. The same legend arrangement was also used on the die with the larger rose 10 behind the head, but this reads ANG FRA HI.
Anyone help? Stuart? We've been here before, but the question hasn't been resolved.