Very Rare Coventry Mint Gold Ryal of King Edward IV

Edward IV, first reign (1461-70), gold "Rose" Ryal of Ten Shillings, light coinage (1465-70), Coventry Mint, King standing in ship holding sword and shield, C in waves below for Coventry, E on flag at stern, rose on hull, legend and beaded borders surrounding, trefoil stops both sides, initial mark sun on reverse only (1465-66), ED WARD'. DI: GRA'. REX. AnGL'. Z FRnC'. DnS. I.B., rev. rose at centre on sunburst, over cross with floriate and lis terminals, crown over lion in each angle, all within beaded and linear tressure of eight arcs, fleurs in spandrels, beaded circle surrounding, nS of legend struck over Sn, *IhC'. AVT'. TRAnSIEnS: PER: mEDIVm: ILLORVm. IBAT, weight 7.65g (Schneider 421; N.1551; S.1955). Nice broad striking, weak in parts of legend both sides, otherwise very fine and a very rare Mint.

The mint mark of sun was only used from 1465 to 1466 during the first reign of King Edward IV at the Bristol, London and York mints. Unfortunately, only the accounts for London survive from this period at the current time and show a large output of gold of £278,774 in the accounting period 1st September 1464 to 29th September 1466. Judging by the scant amount of survivors of the Coventry Mint in commerce today, the unknown mintage of this provincial mint must have been but a mere fraction of what was produced in London.

Provenance:
Ex Sotheby, 6th May 1981, lot 323.
Ex Thos H Law Collection, Stacks Bowers Ponterio, Auction 176, 13th August 2013, lot 20034.