Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots & Francis II, 1560 silver Testoon, RANC / ANCO

Scotland, Mary Queen of Scots (1542-67), silver Testoon, 1560, second period (1558-60), in name of Francis and Mary, variety with FRANCO struck over FANCO in legend, Scottish crowned dimidiated arms of France and Scotland, cross potent to left, saltire cross to right, legend and beaded border surrounding, FRAN. ET. MA. D: G. R. R. FRANCO. SCOTORQ, rev. crowned FM monogram, crowned lis to left, crowned thistle to right, no crosses surmounting the crown either side of monogram, legend and beaded border surrounding, date at end of legend, .VICIT. LEO. DE. TRIBV. IVDA. 1560., weight 5.95g (Burns 14 fig. 884; SCBI 35 [Ashmolean], 1093-94; SCBI 58 [Edinburgh], 1019ff; S.5418). Well centred and equally well struck, good very fine and a rare variety with the overstruck legend and especially without revaluation countermark.

The Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Francis and Mary, by the grace of God, King and Queen of France and Scotland" and on the reverse as "The Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed."

Mary Queen of Scots having come Queen when only 6 days old, was mostly brought up in France subsequently leading to her first marriage age 16 to the even younger Francis II aged 15 the Dauphin of France. He became King of France and King Consort to Scotland upon his Father Henri II's death on 21st September 1559 and was crowned at Reims. However, health-wise not of a good constitution he collapsed on the 16th November 1560, passing away on the 5th December. Mary returned to Scotland on the 19th August 1561, Regents having ruled in her place in childhood.

This coin is the penultimate date in the joint rule of Francis and Mary there being a rare 1561 dated piece as an updated coinage was not ordered till that year. There is also a very rare 1565 dated issue which is a die sinking error. This coin also clearly has the French title erroneously entered at first missing out the R after F but corrected over the top. This coin was obviously put away from spending before the revaluation of 1578 by James VI as it does not have a thistle countermark.

Provenance:

Ex Fritz Rudolf Kunker, Auction 316, 31st January 2019, lot 765.