Our upcoming August ANA world coin auction offers quite diverse European coinage, and today’s preview features an exceptional piece of English hammered coinage. It was struck by the English king Edward III, who is best remembered for his military success and his reclamation of royal authority after his father’s ruinous reign. The famous Hundred Years War began in 1337 after Edward III reasserted his claim to the French crown. Despite some early setbacks, the opening act of the war was favorable for England. This early portion of the war is generally thought to have concluded with the Treaty of Bretigni, which is marked as the apex of English dominance over the continent during the war, at a time when King John (the Good) of France was held ransom.
The coin displayed here displays a large motif of the King standing facing on a ship, crowned and holding a sword and shield. The reverse design shows an “E” at the center of an ornate cross, with alternating crowns and lis within eight arches. Lions appear in each of the four corners of the cross. The “Kingdom of France” is omitted from the legends. This example is of superior quality, featuring excellent eye appeal and brilliant luster. It is graded by NGC at MS-63, and is in remarkable condition despite its six centuries of existence.
Look for this and other world numismatic rarities in our upcoming August ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction. Preview this impressive coin along with the rest of our auction this July and August at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries offices located in Irvine, California and New York, as well as at the auction venue in Chicago. For details please refer to the Events Calendar link at www.StacksBowers.com. To schedule an appointment, please call 800.458.4646. Though our Stack’s Bowers August ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction is no longer open for further consignments, we are now accepting consignments of world and ancient coins for our November Baltimore Auction and the January New York International Auction as well as Asian coins and currency for our December 2015 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. Time is running short, so if you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole collection or a single rarity) be sure to contact one of our consignment directors.
