Important British and World Coinsxx

James VI (1567-1625), Before Accession, Third coinage, Sixteen Shillings, 1581, 10.79g/6h (SCBI 35, 1234; SCBI 58, 1448-9, same obv. die; B 1a, fig. 930C; S 5482, this coin illustrated). Very fine or better with blue-grey toning, extremely rare £4,000-4,500

Provenance: Sutherland Collection, acquired by Faculty of Advocates 1705; Faculty of Advocates duplicates; Dowells Auction (Edinburgh), 22 April 1873, lot 115; R.W. Cochran-Patrick Collection, Sotheby Auction, 30-1 March 1936, lot 276; Lt-Col J.K.R Murray Collection, Spink Auction 57, 29 April 1987, lot 272; L. La Rivière Collection, Spink Auction 179, 29 March 2006, lot 174.

The ‘Dundee’ sale catalogue (lot 253) states that ten specimens are known – being the plate coin in the Standard Catalogue and far superior to the ‘Dundee’ coin, this is presumably one of the finest