Very Rare Gold “Ship” Ryal of Fifteen Shillings of King James I

James I (1603-25), fine gold Spur-Ryal of Fifteen Shillings, second coinage (1604-19), King standing in warship sailing left, large quartered shield and sword, rose on hull, I on banner at bow, initial mark escallop (1606-07), legend and beaded borders surrounding both sides, .IACOBVS D; G; MAG; BRIT; FRAN; ET. HIB; REX., rev. rose on sun with sixteen rays at centre, cruciform cross fleury ends with lis terminal surrounding, crown over lion in each angle, all within a tressure of eight arcs, small trefoils in spandrels, .A. DNO; FACTVM. EST. ISTVD ET. EST. MIRABILE., weight 6.83g (Schneider -; N.2080; S.2614). Toned, fully round, one slight rim split at start of obverse legend, weak strike at mint mark and rose on hull, hairline crack filled in Victorian era on obverse at 2 o'clock to stern of ship, otherwise a pleasing good very fine, this mint mark not represented in the Schneider Collection for this denomination, very rare.

James I was the first King of both Scotland and England, and therefore the first to style himself as King of Great Britain. The fine gold denominations of the second coinage of James I were ordered by an indenture of 16th July 1605, specifying the gold Spur-Ryal at Fifteen Shillings face value. The mint mark of Scallop was in use from 11th July 1606 until the 30th June 1607. This output falls into a two year accounting period at the Mint from 1st June 1605 until 31st March 1607 which also covers the mint mark of Rose. In this time period £8,916 worth face value of gold was produced, much of it perhaps the larger Rose Ryal pieces of Thirty Shillings as they seem to have survived in larger numbers today. The fine gold Spur Ryals are perhaps the hardest denomination to find of this reign, as this coin has been previously housed in some of the greatest collections of the past and of course the current Schneider Collection of British gold does not have an example of this mint mark.

Provenance:
Ex William Brice, collection purchased en bloc by Hyman Montagu, 1887.
Ex Hyman Montagu, Sotheby, 16th-20th November 1897, lot 298 plate coin showing crack filled.
Privately transacted by Spink from private collection, c.1915.
Ex V.J.E. Ryan, part I, Glendining, 28th-30th June 1950, lot 365, sold for £74.