PCI2010 Group 3G Voting

[Art]

Saor Alba's Mary Queen of Scotland Penny ca. 1547

This diminutive piece is not pretty, but one of the best available examples of a coinage struck in 1547 when Queen Mary was six years old, and English forces were harrying the border during the period of the "Rough Wooing" when Henry VIII had his army harass the Scots in pursuit of having Queen Mary betrothed to his son who would later become Edward VI.

 

Portrait coins from Queen Mary's reign are very rare, most notably these early pennies because they were small enough that very few of them have been located. The portrait gold and silver coins issued briefly later in the reign were more often saved because of the value of them. These pennies were often heavily circulated and subsequently lost - resulting in their great rarity now.

 

YeOldeCollector's Elizabeth I Sixpence

Elizabeth I Sixpence. One of the very best portraits of Elizabeth that I have ever seen, truly stunning. Scarce 'large flan' type of 1561. m.m. pheon. Large bust with hair swept back and rose behind. These are much scarcer compared to their smaller counterparts. Not often do you see these with no clipping either.

[Ætheling]

You know being a former sixpence collector that I am and considering the decent strike on the Elizabeth's portrait you'd expect me to go for the tanner right? Yeah I thought so too...

 

But when the coin it's up against is a Mary Queen of Scots and a portrait coin at that, I have to go with the wee penny.

[Drusus]

The Elizabeth is just a more attractive coin and so well perserved. I cant vote against it

[Art]

The winner of this thread is:

 

YeOldeCollector's Elizabeth I Sixpence