Edward VI gold Half Sovereign

Edward VI (1547-53), gold Half Sovereign of Ten Shillings, third period (1550-53), Tower Mint, half-length armoured figure of King right, holding orb and sword, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding both sides, initial mark tun, lozenge stops, EDWARD; VI: D; G; AGL': FRA': hIB': REX: rev. crowned shield of quartered arms, frosted interior to crown, E to left of shield, R to right, his; AVTEm: TRANSIE'. PER mEDI; ILLO; IBAT.5.47g (Schneider 696; N.1928; S.2451). One slight rim lamination at 8 o'clock obverse, otherwise well struck on a broad flan, good depiction of King, reverse shield elements well-defined, almost extremely fine and rare this well preserved.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Edward the Sixth, by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland"; and on the reverse "But Jesus, passing through the midst of them, went His way" taken from the Bible.

With the closure of the Southwark Mint in August 1551, Sir John York became the Under-Treasurer at the main Tower I Mint and again used his surname initial as the mint mark during the Third Period (18^th December 1550-6^th July 1553), the first coinage in this period being the ostrich head mint mark coins. The second coinage, an example of the crown gold Half-Sovereign herewith, was commissioned at the two Tower Mints on 5^th October 1551 and were struck until July 1553.

Provenance:
Ex Mark Rasmussen Numismatist, April 2003.

Ex Property of a Gentleman, Mark Rasmussen Numismatist, list 27, item C45.