British and World Coins, Historical Medals and Tokens

William III (1694-1702), Halfcrown, 1696 Y, large shields, second harp (ESC. 528; SC. 085). Obverse good very fine, reverse very fine, toned, rare, particularly in this state (£80-120)

Hailstone in the SC has rejected the sequence of types published in ESC and has followed the views of the noted collector Jackson Kent. As he quite rightly states no argument is presented in ESC for the adopted sequence. Hailstone presents his case for a new arrangement of types clearly and cogently and in our view until further evidence comes to light – and in this respect a study of die links might help clarify the matter – is the one that should be accepted. His observations reaffirm the views of the cataloguers that many aspects of the so-called milled series of English coins – the issues of William III not least – would benefit from the kind of penetrating and scholarly study given to earlier English coins.