This preview for the Stack’s Bowers Galleries August ANA World’s Fair of Money features a fantastic gold issue from a dark period of English history under Queen Mary I. Queen Mary – a staunch Catholic – attempted to reverse some aspects of the English Reformation enacted by her father King Henry VIII and supported by her half-brother King Edward VI. In pursuit of these policies she burned over 280 religious dissenters at the stake, with hundreds more choosing to flee the country. The Protestants gave her the epithet "Bloody Mary" as a result of these brutal actions.
This Fine Sovereign of 30 Shillings features an image of Queen Mary enthroned facing, holding a globus cruciger and scepter, with a portcullis at her feet. The Roman numeral date: "MDLIII" (1553) which appears at the terminus of the obverse legend further shows Mary’s ties to Roman Catholicism. The reverse features the Tudor rose (Mary was the penultimate monarch of the Tudor dynasty, with her younger half-sister Elizabeth I being the last). A square topped shield emblazoned with the royal arms sits atop the rose. This example is well made and sharp, with a light veneer of toning. It is sure to elicit spirited bidding as it is a classic world type and appeals to numerous collector groups.
While we are no longer accepting consignments of world and ancient coins and world paper money for our August 2018 ANA Auction, we are accepting consignments for our October 2018 Collector’s Choice Online Auction and the January 2019 New York International Auction. In addition, we are currently taking consignments of Chinese and other Asian coins and currency for our April 2019 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. 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.
