Although a large number
of shillings were produced during her long reign, there was a gap of
twenty years 1561and 1582 in their production. The early coins were minted from
1559 to 1561 (1st and 2nd silver series) and the later
coins 1582-1601 were in the 5th and 6th series of
Elizabethan silver. It was thought that the long hiatus in production came
about simply because there were many coins from the reign of Mary I still in
circulation as well as those added in the first five years of Elizabeth’s
reign, both possibly resulting from the glut in silver entering Europe at that
time.
The sizes of the shilling flans varied slightly
over the Elizabethan period, and can be described as large, medium and small.
Coins were not dated, but mint marks identified periods of production within
the various series produced, and these were shown in Stuart’s display with
notes on historical events of the period. The woolpack mark (1594/6) was
particularly apposite when during a time of famine, the cost of a sheep was
equivalent to £900 today.
Tony gave a second talk on the sculptor,
medallist and coin designer Percy Metcalfe (b. 1895 d. 1973). He is well known
to numismatists as the designer of the Eire “Barnyard” or “Farmyard” series of
pre-decimal coins, as well as the 1935 “Rocking Horse” jubilee crown.
Born in Alverthorpe, near Wakefield Percy
showed great talent and at 15 years old was a student at Leeds College of Art,
and in 1914 went to the Royal College of Art in London after winning a
scholarship to study there. In less than 12 months at the RCA he left to enlist
in the army as serviceman 93874 in the 63rd Brigade Royal Field
Artillery. Badly wounded in the leg in 1916 he was seconded to munitions work
until demobilised in 1919. He returned to the RCA and designed the College’s
war memorial. He married Eveline Smith in Kensington in autumn 1920.
His preferred medium was sculpture,
producing a monumental lion for 1924 British Empire Exhibition, and later a number of smaller replicas as models for Royal Mint
commemoratives. However, his damaged leg increasingly precluded working on
sculpting and his work then centred on coin and medal designs. Apart from those
mentioned above his designs included the Edward VIII and George VI crowned
effigies (for overseas use), the George Cross medal for gallantry (1940), the
Voluntary Medical Service Medal (1932) and the 1937 Coronation medal as well as
a host of coin and medal designs for Britain and abroad. One notable design is
his 1933 Everest Flight design. All his work is noted for their clean and
unfussy lines.
He was associated with the Ashstead
Pottery factory with character jugs, and the Johnnie Walker jug. He also
produced a number of car mascots; Jaguar being one of
the best known.
The third and last of the talks was that
by Michael. This last year has seen an enormous increase in precious metal
prices. [The price of gold has doubled in the year (from $2700 to $5000 per
troy oz) and the price of silver has trebled ($30 to
$100) and Platinum has followed a similar trajectory more than doubling. These
are only over the last year – longer periods show even greater percentage
changes]
Michael showed graphs of gold and silver
long-term prices, and then proceeded to describe how, as a coin dealer, the
retail prices of his stock were now very unrealistic and well below the bullion
value of his items. As a matter of necessity, he needs to reprice his stock,
and as an aid to this he has produced spreadsheets of bullion price plus a
varied added percentages to reflect the real value of collectable coins. Using
the spreadsheets Michael can not only adjust his own stock prices but also for
the probate valuations of collections that is undertaking.
The audience balloted for the best of the
talks, and the votes were Stuart 3, Tony 5 and Michael 9. Accordingly, Michael
was awarded the annual Marc Myhill Memorial Shield for the best talk.
Future Events.
London
Coin Fair – Shortlands, London, W6 –7th February & 13th
June 2026
Midland
Coin Fair - National Motorcycle Museum – 8th February & 8th
March 2026
Spinks
Auctions –1st April 2026
Noonans, Mayfair, W1J 8BQ –10th
February & 3rd and 4th March 2026
Morton & Eden – February 2026
St James Auctions –7th February & 26th
March 2026
Baldwins –18th March 2026
Past
Events
In
January 1976 members heard a talk on Byzantine coins.
In
January 1986 Mr. J Woolly spoke about military medals awarded to the Ox &
Bucks light infantry and how he was researching the
details of the recipients
Since then,
the January meeting has been given over to short talks from members.
Club
Secretary
TWENTY QUESTIONS ANSWERS
|
QUESTION |
ANSWER |
|
|
1. |
Who designed the Petition Crown and when? |
Thomas
Simon 1663 |
|
2. |
Which country issued a 1/48 shilling? |
Jersey |
|
3. |
Where and when was the ½ Puffin issued? |
Lundy
1929 |
|
4. |
What was the major silver coin of the empire of
Alexander the Great and the empire’s successor states? |
Tetradrachm |
|
5. |
What was the original price of the Picture Paper
daily? |
1/2d |
|
6. |
Which Pacific islands group has
an association with the British £2 coin of 2009? |
Galapagos Islands/Charles Darwin |
|
7. |
Which Indian Ocean
island had its map on its 1953 10 & 20 Franc coins? |
Madagascar |
|
8. |
What does the 1911 Canadian cent have in common
with the 1847 British florin? |
Both are Godless |
|
9. |
Which Island group off Newfoundland issued 1 & 2 Franc coins? |
St
Pierre and Miquelon |
|
10. |
From 1885 to 1973 the
British monarchy appeared on coinage of where in Central America? |
British
Honduras/Belize |
|
11. |
Third-farthings were used on which
Mediterranean island? |
Malta |
|
12. |
What was the name of the American woman who
appeared on Irish banknotes? |
Hazel,
Lady Lavery |
|
13. |
The Scottish sixpence, known as the Bawbee, was
named after whom? |
Laird
of Sillebawby, a Scots mint master |
|
14. |
The Irish halfcrown
carried which animal? |
A
horse |
|
15. |
Who was the designer of the Millenium £5 coin? |
Jeffery
Matthews |
|
16. |
Since 1937 what animal has mostly featured on the
Canadian 25 cent coin? |
Caribou |
|
17. |
Thomas Telford designed what structure that
features on the 2005 £1 coin? |
Menai
Suspension Bridge |
|
18. |
When did King Edgar’s coinage reformation take
place (+/- 3 years)? |
973
AD |
|
19. |
What was the weight of the 11th Century
Anglo-Norse silver Ora? |
25g
or 7/8oz |
|
20. |
In 2005 whose cathedral appeared on the British £2
coin? |
St
Pauls London |