The Spur Royal was an extremely rare
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
gold coin
A gold coin is a coin that is made mostly or entirely of gold. Most gold coins minted since 1800 are 90–92% gold (22karat), while most of today's gold bullion coins are pure gold, such as the Britannia, Canadian Maple Leaf, and American Buffa ...
issued in the reign of King
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
. The coin is a development of the earlier
Rose Noble, or Ryal which was worth ten shillings when issued by Kings
Edward IV
Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...
and
Henry VII, and fifteen shillings when issued by Queens
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
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* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
and
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
.
The Spur Royal, so called because the sun and rose on the reverse resemble a spur, was introduced during James I's second coinage (1604–1619) when it initially had a value of fifteen
shillings
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or ...
(15/-), but in line with all gold coins its value was raised by 10% in 1612, to sixteen shillings and
sixpence (16/6). The design of this first issue shows on the obverse the king in a ship holding a sword and shield, surrounded by the legend
IACOBUS DG MAG BRIT FRAN ET HIB REX -- "James by the grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland". The reverse shows a rose over a radiant star, with a lion and crown in each quarter surrounded by the legend
A. DNO FACTUM EST ISTUD ET EST MIRABILE (shorthand for the Latin ''A DOMINO FACTUM EST ISTUD ET EST MIRABILE'') -- "This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous (in our eyes)".
During James' third coinage (1619–1625) a new-style lighter spur ryal was issued with the value and weight reduced to fifteen shillings (15/-). On the obverse is a lion holding a sceptre over the royal shield which divides the value "XV" for fifteen shillings, surrounded by the legend
IACOBUS DG MAG BRIT FRA ET HI REX -- ''James by the grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland''. The reverse shows, as before, a rose over a radiant star, with a lion and crown in each quarter surrounded by the legend
A. DNO FACTUM EST ISTUD ET EST MIRABILE -- ''This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous (in our eyes)''.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spur Ryal
Coins of England
English gold coins
Economy of Stuart England