James VI (1567-1625), Twenty Pound Piece, 1576, half-length bust of the boy King, crowned, wearing ruff and armour facing right and holding a sword and olive branch, iacobvs 6 dei gra rex scotor around, in vtrvnqve paratvs and date in panel below, rev. crowned shield, parcere svbiectis & debellare svperbos around, 30.24g/11h (SCBI 35, 1141; B 1, fig. 947; S 5451). Small rim knock at top, otherwise obverse nearly very fine, reverse better, extremely rare (£25,000-30,000)

Provenance:
Ashmolean Museum
H. Hird Collection, Glendining Auction, 6 March 1974, lot 92.

Struck from dies by John Achesoun, the twenty pound piece represents the largest denomination in the Scottish series. Its weight and value also exceed those of the triple unites of Charles I struck during the Civil War nearly seventy years later, making it the highest denomination in the British hammered series. The legend in the tablet on the obverse is ‘Prepared for either’, i.e. peace or war, a theme reflected by the olive branch and sword. The reverse legend translates as ‘To spare the vanquished and suppress the proud’. An issue of ten and five pound pieces was also proposed but none is known and it has long been concluded that their issue was not proceeded with