Great Britain Fine Sovereign (Elizabeth I) (Fakes are possible) 1550 to 1600
You have an amazing coin, Kate. If it is genuine, it is worth boatloads of money. These are hammered coinage from Queen Elizabeth I. The reason it is called a 'fine sovereign' is because it contains 30 shillings worth of gold. A 'normal sovereign' contains 20 shillings.
The genuine coin in our main picture (upper left) and the supplementary picture (enlarged, below) comes from Spink in London where it sold for 6000 British pounds (about $9300 US dollars) during a 2015 auction. This gives you and idea of value. Each coin, of course, stands on its own merits. I have seen some sell as high as $25000+ but no lower than $8000.
As always with valuable coins, counterfeits exist. Two pictures appear below. The gold one immediately below is an enlargement of the Spink coin. Below that is a well-known replica in pewter. Usually, before selling, they gild the pewter fakes and then look for novice buyers.
As always, CoinQuest is indebted to Spink for allowing us to use their photo of this amazing coin. Thank you!
The coin above in genuine. The coin below is fake.
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Coin: 19386, Genre: Colonizers and Colonies, Timeline: World
Created (yyyymm): 201505, Last review: 201505
Appearance: Normal round coin Metallic yellow Letters: Latin
Years: sort: 1550, filter: 1550 to 1600
Image: great_britain_elizabeth_i_fine_sovereign.jpg
Tags: escutcheon stemming sovgn encircled bloomed shiled floret broadsword sworeds circal fake stem saber leis lilly ross rings british crests fleur forges sovereign flour lizabeth sitting piller crest blossom stool lis gates upright flur insignia sword brittish rosettes chevrons forge bouquet elizebeth petels cruciform gate forgery circling flowers petal orchid arm encircles petals crossing circel soverigns encircle shields england gated ringed roses circumference brittain encircling fler flower coats column brittan posy ring elizibeth fakes replicas forger trefoil elisabeth counterfeit hand circles loop rose repro fine circumscribed britt queen throne circumscibed maltese sit elizabet brit circuit shaking door chevron seated queens english coat britan replica swords crosses lises elizabeth logo lily britian doorway sov bud sitted arms circlet elisabet staffs circle seat pedals trefoils columns lilys britain elizabith creast sits counterfiet pillar counterfet floer flowerettes fluer crossed soverein rossette sheild fleures reproduction throned handshake lei loops floral lattice pillars florets maltise dogwood circular criss incircled fino crested staff lisse stems cross rosette circled hands counterfeits flowery campgate swordlike shield escucheon fleurs great orcid sovereigns shild 1600 reproductions
