Elizabeth I "The Pledge Of"

[simon]

Hi

I found a strange coin again on the web. Does anybody know something about it?

Is this a kind of a token?

-Simon-

[Master Jmd]

Edit: This is about a different coin but of the same era, my mistake.

Well if you got the image from the Basil Nicholson Collection featured on colincookecoins then you would have been able to read:

Elizabeth 1st. Pattern Halfpenny Pledge in Silver. BMC 6. Royal Monogram crowned. Portcullis and chains. Dated 1601. One of the earliest patterns for the introduction of a copper coinage. Within the Royal Monogram can be found all the letters of ELIZABETH R(egina).

Virtually Mint State and possibly the finest of the four only specimens available to commerce, the remaining two examples being in institutions. Extremely rare.

Montagu and North both list this coin as a farthing but Peck's convincing discussion on pages 9 - 12 of BMC re-assigns the piece as a Halfpenny.

This piece is not the very much inferior Rogers example (which is in this writer's personal collection at present), reducing the possible pedigree to Foster, or Peck or Parsons. From the photographic evidence of each of these three pieces, this is almost certainly the Major A. W. Foster specimen, (Glendinings 19th October 1953, Lot 2, £18/10/- to Forrer and subsequently sold at Spink Coin Auction No. 1, 10th October 1978, Lot 194, £600). The weight, 1.11grams (17.1 grains) corresponds exactly to the known weight of the Foster piece. Unfortunately, the Spink reference below offers no corroborative attribution in the printed sale catalogue.

Ex Spink Coin Auction 95, 25-11-1992, Lot 78 (£846).

This is more than likely the same coin, just different images. Where did the images come from?

Oh, information found: here

Edit: Ah wait! Its a different coin silly me... Ignore this then i guess...

I'm sure I've seen this online before somewhere...

Edited January 7, 2006 by Master Jmd

[simon]

I'm sure I've seen this online before somewhere...

Me too, but I cannot remember where.

MMMh, THE PLEDGE OF......what?

[Rob]

It's BMC3. According to Peck the details are as follows, 18mm diameter with an average weight in Silver of 34.5 grains. Cast as well as struck pieces exist and the former have details of the design altered by tooling. It is probably relatively common as Peck ascribed a VR rarity whilst giving the copper version ER and of these he examined 6 specimens.

[Geordie582]

MMMh, THE PLEDGE OF......what?

One penny ( the other side)!

[Rob]

It's the same as DNW lot 448 on 12/12/05 which is the same piece as has been on the Colin Cooke list for most of 2005 @ £775. Neil Paisley said he had put it in the auction but it didn't sell. Make him an offer if you are interested. It was in the list saying it looks as if it has been plugged, but has a provenance being ex- Lingford and Comber.

[simon]

It's BMC3. According to Peck the details are as follows, 18mm diameter with an average weight in Silver of 34.5 grains. Cast as well as struck pieces exist and the former have details of the design altered by tooling. It is probably relatively common as Peck ascribed a VR rarity whilst giving the copper version ER and of these he examined 6 specimens.

It's a pitty that I don't own one. I could not find this catalogue in the online shop, or is there a database on the web?

-Simon-

[Chris Perkins]

I have a spare Peck, but they aren't cheap.

[Peter]

Pecks work is;

English Copper,Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum

1558-1958.

It is still the (serious) English Copper and Bronze collectors "must have" reference.

It is now out of print but obtainable 2nd hand for between £100 and £200.

The 2nd edition (1970) is best.

Copies are fairly hard to locate....you just have to get lucky.

[simon]

I have a spare Peck, but they aren't cheap.

Throw in a price and I will tell you my decision

-Simon-

[Chris Perkins]

£100, plus postage, which will probably be about £10.

[simon]

£100, plus postage, which will probably be about £10.

This is no cheap indeed but I am sure it would be worth the price. I just ordered a book called:

A catalogue of english coins, part 2 for a lot of money, so I guess I'll have to live with that one for a while

I hope it's also worth the price.. . Anyway - Seaby and Coincraft are not that bad...

Thanks anyway and who knows: If such books are still available from just before my next trip to England, I'll be glad to order one from you and save the postage

Regards, Simon