Scotland, James I gold Demy type II, large open quatrefoils

James I of Scotland (1406-37), gold Demy of Nine Shillings, type II, upright lion within double lozenge, with fleur de lis surrounding in outer lozenge, beaded circles and abbreviated Latin legends surrounding with fleur de lis after King's name and in DEI, initial mark crown IACOBVS+ DE+I GRACIA REX SCO, rev. I at centre on saltire cross, fleur de lis either side, pellet above and quatrefoil of pellets below, fleured tressure of six arcs surrounding, large open quatrefoils around in spandrels, lis on each cusp, beaded circles and legends surrounding, initial mark cross pattée with fleur de lis and saltire stops, ++SA+LVVmxx FAC POPVLVm+ TVVm+, wedge tailed T, weight 3.16g (Burns -/8b, fig 465A; S.5190). Toned with some surface marks both sides, some old deposit on reverse with one brighter patch near rim, almost extremely fine and an unrecorded obverse die in Burns, very rare with a good old provenance.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on the obverse "James, by the Grace of God, King of Scotland" and on the reverse "O Lord, save Thy people" a Psalm from the Bible. A great deal of the gold in the coinage of Scotland at this period was mined locally principally from Crawford Moor, when nuggets from 2 grams to 30 ounces were discovered.

Provenance:

Ex Sir Charles W. C. Oman (1860-1946), Christies, 31^st October 1972, lot 405, plate 11, sold for £105 to Hearn.

Sir Charles Oman, Chichele Professor of Modern History and M.P. for Oxford University, who authored the "Coinage of England" in 1931 was knighted in 1920. After his death in 1946 much of his ancient Greek collections were sold to the British and Ashmoleon Museums and his foreign coins, medallions and books were sold through Glendining. The Roman and British collections were left to the family who later sold through Christies in three parts from 1968 to 1972.