Lot 2132
Great Britain. Silver Milled Sixpence, 1567. Elizabeth. S-2599. Small, later bust. Lis mm on each side. Beginning in 1561 a new method was experimented with at the Royal Mint, an ancient building inside the outer walls of the Tower of London (today, no indication of this building exists). Eloye Mestrelle was imported from France; his use of a screw press powered by horse-drawn "mill" produced uncommonly handsome and regular coins, of which this beautiful sixpence is a prime example. The new money took its name from the mill used to power the press, and today has evolved into "Milled." Unfortunately, being French, Mestrelle fell out of favor at the Mint, which accused him of taking too long to make his money. He was dismissed in 1572, and disgruntled turned to counterfeiting, or was so accused and convicted, and hung for crimes against the Crown. His legacy, however, lives on in the triumph of coins which made their contemporaries look poor indeed. This is a lovely example. The planchet is slightly wavy, as is normal. The surfaces are a well-set medium gray. The details are all sharp. The surfaces show small abrasions but are, far and away, finer than almost always seen. NGC graded EF-45.
Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,300.
The Cheshire Collection.
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| Realized $870 |
