- 1567 Sword VF25.jpg (184.32 KiB) Viewed 2279 times
I recently acquired this upgrade to my Scotland 30 shillings Ryal set: a 1567 “Sword Dollar” graded VF25 by NGC. It replaces a PCGS F12 example that started my set in 2002 – one that within a few years became clear would eventually need to be replaced.
Since the set began I have tried unsuccessfully to find even the smallest scrap of information (or even a guess) about Ryal mintages. But my hunt has at least convinced me the number is small – which makes perfect sense because their face value was so huge, being approximately equal to 50 days of wages for a skilled tradesman. (It was also enough to buy a cow, which, as a former dairy magazine editor, makes me smile.)
Ryals were made from 1565 to 1571 in two very different types. (They were also made in 20- and 10-shilling denominations.) I’ve always considered the side with the date to be the obverse, although reference books and sometimes grading companies say I am wrong. But since this is my thread I am going to do it my way:
The “Palm” or “Mary” type was issued under the reign of Mary Queen of Scots from December 1565 to July 1567. Its obverse shows a tortoise climbing a crowned palm tree whose trunk divides the date. (Yes, that is totally weird. I have been to Scotland several times and I have never even heard of tortoises or palm trees being there, let alone seen any. And it goes without saying that tortoises can’t climb.)
The “Sword” or “James” type was issued from August 1567 to 1571 under the reign of James the 6th, Mary's son, who was made King at age 1 when Mary was deposed and eventually imprisoned after being accused of plotting to kill her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. Its obverse features a large vertical crowned sword whose blade divides the date. A hand and extended finger point to the Roman numerals XXX (the smaller coins have XX or X) indicating the denomination.
- Palm-Sword pair.jpg (169.89 KiB) Viewed 2279 times
Ryals are hammered coins and thus are crudely made. Their published specifications are 44 mm in diameter (although some references say 41 mm), 30.46 grams in weight, and .917 in fineness -- versus 38.1 mm, 26.73 grams and .900 for U.S. silver dollars.)
Most Ryals, however, are not perfectly round nor uniform in size. Every one I have seen has also had multiple and/or uneven striking to some degree; I would love to see an example of any date that doesn’t have any weak, partial, or missing letters or design elements. Reverses are always rotated, in amounts that vary all over the place. If any properly aligned coin or medal turn examples do exist, I’m convinced they happened by accident.
Planchet quality is often poor and sometimes awful. Surface voids, particularly near the rim, are common. So are radial flan cracks (not surface die cracks), which can be ragged and unsightly. Many Ryals were counterstamped with a thistle-shaped mark applied by the government in 1578 to increase their value to 36 shillings and 9 pence, after inflation and rising bullion prices had pushed their melting value well above face value and caused an exodus of silver coins out of the country. The accepted value of Ryals was officially raised by Parliament again in 1597, this time to 50 shillings.
I could see from the eBay auction photos of the VF25 coin that something odd was on each side of the sword hilt, plus the lettering on both sides looked downright goofy. So I was eager to get it in hand and put a loupe on it. When I finally did I got a huge surprise; it is amazingly messed up.
Here is a closeup from a previous Heritage auction lot which shows that absolutely nothing is supposed to be around the sword hilt area:
- correct obv close.jpg (229.29 KiB) Viewed 2279 times
Now, here are photos of my F12 coin that show how the lettering on a 1567 Sword Dollar is supposed to look. (The planchet of this coin is unusually round and high in quality. The strike has minimal doubling and lettering around the rims on both sides is unusually bold, complete, and well centered. But the center of the obverse is also unusually weak. Central weakness is not uncommon on Ryals, due to their large and poorly protected design, but the amount of obverse wear on this F12 makes me wonder if perhaps some might be due to being carried and rubbed as a pocket piece):
- LFCP obv 12.jpg (364.14 KiB) Viewed 2279 times
- LFCP rev 12.jpg (358.18 KiB) Viewed 2279 times
Despite its low grade, the F12 clearly shows that the Latin motto around the obverse has 17 letters: PRO ME • SI • MEREOR • IN • ME (“For me, but against me if I deserve”), and the much-abbreviated Latin legend on the reverse has 28 letters and one number: .IACOBVS.6.DEI.GRATIA.REX.SCOTORVM. ("James 6th by the grace of God King of Scotland").
