Lot 1931
Great Britain. Shilling, 1693. William & Mary, jugate busts. S-3437. KM-480. Extensive experience has proven an old truth in British numismatics: that the coins of William & Mary, joint rulers with both portraits, are among the hardest to find in high grade in the entire milled series. That is fact. Dr Terner obtained a number of guineas, including great rarities (sold in our previous auction, in May 2003), and in this sale we present two wonderful half-guineas, and a stunning halfcrown. Perhaps rarer still, however, is the "lowly" silver shilling series, which was very short. In fact, only two dates occur, 1692 and 1693. The cataloguer aggressively pursued these shillings for years and years, only once in a while locating a high-end coin. This specimen has to be among the finest known. While PCGS has called it Uncirculated, many in the UK will object, claiming it shows slight rub, or cabinet friction. Whether it does or not, it is certainly "up there" in the ranks of this coinage's hall of rarity. The surfaces have no marks and are toned a beautiful, 17th-century silver and gray, and show some delicate iridescence as well. The strike could be better, but still this coin stands out as a classic rarity. PCGS graded MS-61.
Estimated Value $4,500 - 5,500.
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