New Stock February 2024 (Part II)

Towards the end of the reign of Henry VII, in around 1504, a new coin was introduced which was known as a Testoon, from the Italian Testone or Headpiece, introduced in Milan in 1474. It was one of the first English coins to bear a real portrait of the monarch instead of the representative portrait which had served for the previous ten centuries. The Testoon later became the Shilling and was a permanent part of the circulating coinage until Decimalisation in 1971. Original examples are excessively rare and sought after and fetch over £50,000 making them inaccessible to most collectors. Thankfully, these high quality silver plated replicas have been produced so that you can see what these Testoons looked like.

The first Silver Rupee struck under British India was in 1862. It had the wonderful Gothic bust of Queen Victoria with its ornate design. We have a small hoard of high grade examples to offer you, they are Extremely Fine and About Uncirculated. Remember these silver coins are now 162 years old and the first Rupee of British India.

We have put together a set of 17 bronze decimal coins from the Isle of Man, all of which are in Brilliant Uncirculated condition. There are ten 2 pence coins ranging from 1986 right through to 2000, along with five 1 pence coins from 1993 to 2000 and two half pence coins dated 1975 and 1977.

This was an anonymous silver coinage issued by decree in 1565 under Doge Girolamo Priuli (1486-1567) for use in Crete. The obverse shows the winged lion of Saint Mark holding the book of gospels with the legend SANCTVS MARCVS VENETVS and the reverse shows Saint Justina enthroned with a lion each side, holding a sword in her right hand and scales in left with the legend DILICIT IVSTITIAM.

These silver 5 lire coins were struck over an 11-year period from 1926 and are almost the size of an old UK shilling. The obverse shows the head of Vittorio Emanuele III facing left, while the reverse has an eagle holding a Fascio Littorio in its claws. Also known as a “fasces”, it was a symbol of power in the old Etruscan civilisation and then Ancient Rome, but was later adopted by Mussolini’s Fascist Party, which had established itself in power at this time. We have a number of these coins available in Very Fine condition.

This is something rather special. These are 10 sheets of 16 John Lennon Stamps in mint unused condition, a total of 160 mint stamps. They were issued about 1990 and come from 10 different countries. They include: Antigua Barbuda (4 different sheets), Ghana, Palau, Azerbaijan, Guyana, Nicaragua and Mali.

Julia Domna was descended from the Priest-Kings of Emesa, Syria. According to legend, before Septimius Severus was emperor he heard prophecy of a woman destined to marry a king, so he found her and married her! A very intelligent woman, celebrated for her learning, Julia Domna helped administer the empire holding many titles such as the exquisite “Mother of the Invincible Camps”. Like many empresses she also set fashion trends; it is thought she introduced the Romans to the wearing of wigs with her particular hairstyle still worn by Zenobia 60 years later! This hairstyle can be seen on the silver Denarius we offer in Extremely Fine. On the obverse is her draped bust with various goddesses on the reverse. We have not been able to offer Julia Domna like this in a long time, these high grade coins will make great gifts (especially for a lady) or grace any collection. Do not miss out!

Lykaonia was an area in what is now central Turkey, north of the Taurus Mountains. Lukkawanna, the Ancient Hittite name for the area, came from the 2nd millennium B.C. and translated as ‘Land of Lukka’ with ‘Lukka’ meaning wolf. The Ancient Greek for wolf was ‘Lykos’ so this archaic association with wolves was already thousands of years old when this coin was struck. This association is celebrated on the silver obols we are offering here with an impressively engraved forepart of a wolf on the reverse of the coin. The obverse shows Baaltars, the local version of the Greek god, Zeus. This parallel can be seen in the way he is seated and holding his sceptre, the same as Zeus on Alexander the Great’s coinage. These coins grade Very Fine and were struck at the city of Laranda. They date to the middle of the 4th century B.C. and we only have a small group, I hope you get one!

These are 50 Paisa issued in VS2004/5 or our dates 1948 and 1949. They are listed as KM718 and the coins on offer are in Extremely Fine condition. We have never seen them in such a high grade before. There are local designs on both sides with the legend in Nepalese which, to be honest, we cannot read. They are silver and in Extremely Fine condition and we have never seen them so nice. It is a coin that you don’t see and we have never offered before and at this price, they are great value.

North Korean coins are often hard to find, but we can offer you these very plain 100 won coins struck in aluminium. They are part of the 2005 series of the so-called Second Won that circulated between 1959 and 2009. The coins also bear the date according to the Juche Calendar, which is named after the ideology of that dominates the closed North Korean State. The calendar begins with the birth year of Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea. This means that 1912 is known as “Juche 1”. However, the calendar was not formally adopted until 1997, three years after the dictator’s death.

Every nation has its national poet and Poland is no exception. Adam Bernard Mickiewicz has even been dubbed the “Slavic bard” as his work is also highly regarded in Lithuania and Belarus. Between 1975 and 1977 the Polish government decided to issue a 10 zloty circulating commemorative coin to celebrate his contribution to literature and drama. On the obverse of the coin is the traditional white eagle emblem of Poland, while the reverse shows a bust of Mickiewicz himself facing left.

These Russian Silver coins of Peter the Great were actually made by rolling out a thin wire of silver and then hammering out the design on them by hand. The value was standardized by the Reform Act of 1535. You have a horseman on the reverse and a legend in old Russian on the reverse. They are tiny silver coins with the denomination of Polushka and they were literally made from a piece of silver wire. They date from about 1700 and are a most unusual coin to have in your collection. Hundreds of years old and something your friends would probably never seen before. An actual coin struck from a piece of wire although it is silver wire.

This is a fantastic piece of the engravers art. On one side you have an ear of corn in both matt and brilliant surface. The reverse has a calendar in a number of different languages for 2001. It was issued by the United Nations in Italy as an art medallion and to raise money for their works. It measures 80mm and is a very heavy bronze piece. It is high relief and would make an outstanding paperweight. After all not all that many people can have one. Choice, large and handsome.

Born about A.D. 328 Valens was the younger brother of the emperor Valentinian I. Trusted with the rule of the eastern provinces of the Empire, he spent much of his reign campaigning against the Goths and the Persians. In A.D. 376 Valens allowed the Gothic tribes to cross the Danube frontier and settle in Roman territory. But as a result of terrible treatment from the Roman Administrators (against Valen’s express orders), the Goths rebelled. Valens attacked prematurely, rushing into ‘The Battle of Adrianople’ unorganized. He was killed and his army was almost wiped out! This loss meant the end of the traditional Roman Empire had begun. Valens was not gifted in war but cared for the general populace, relaxing taxes for the poor and living moderately. We offer his bronze coins showing his bust on the Obverse and the emperor dragging a barbarian captive on the reverse. The reverse legend ‘GLORIA ROMANORVM’ refers to Valens as ‘The Glory of the Romans’ against the barbarians. Sadly, for him and his army, it appears the barbarians had the glory. This grade is Fine, for the Glory of the Romans!

Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 at the age of 18 and reigned for 63 years and 216 days, the second longest reign of any British monarch. Her first coins came into circulation in 1838 and carried a youthful portrait, known as the Young Head which was used until 1860 when a new design was introduced, known as the ‘Bun Head’ Coinage. At the same time they stopped striking coins in copper and introduced a Farthing, Halfpenny and Penny in Bronze with this new portrait. We offer here type sets of these bronze ‘Bun Head’ coins struck between 1860-1895. You get one of each denomination, Farthing, Halfpenny and Penny supplied in VG-Fine condition.