Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
       

       

                             



Sale 31: The Pre-Long Beach Auction May 30 - June 1, 2005
             

             
            Lot 2132Great Britain. Silver Milled Sixpence, 1567. Elizabeth. 
            S-2599. Small, later bust. Lis mm on each side. Beginning in 1561 a 
            new method was experimented with at the Royal Mint, an ancient 
            building inside the outer walls of the Tower of London (today, no 
            indication of this building exists). Eloye Mestrelle was imported 
            from France; his use of a screw press powered by horse-drawn "mill" 
            produced uncommonly handsome and regular coins, of which this 
            beautiful sixpence is a prime example. The new money took its name 
            from the mill used to power the press, and today has evolved into 
            "Milled." Unfortunately, being French, Mestrelle fell out of favor 
            at the Mint, which accused him of taking too long to make his money. 
            He was dismissed in 1572, and disgruntled turned to counterfeiting, 
            or was so accused and convicted, and hung for crimes against the 
            Crown. His legacy, however, lives on in the triumph of coins which 
            made their contemporaries look poor indeed. This is a lovely 
            example. The planchet is slightly wavy, as is normal. The surfaces 
            are a well-set medium gray. The details are all sharp. The surfaces 
            show small abrasions but are, far and away, finer than almost always 
            seen. NGC graded EF-45. 
            Estimated Value $1,100-1,300. 

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.
             Realized $725
             


          








Courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers, Beverly Hills, CA. www.goldbergcoins.com