Spink completed its sale of a uniquely impressive collection on October 6: the Frank Brady collection of hammered groats.
A significant number of coin collectors specialise in hammered coinage, and Brady had certainly put the effort in with nearly 400 lots on offer in the sale, many of them highly valuable.
Two lots stood out: firstly there was a Henry VIII Tournai coin. Tournai is now a French speaking city in Belgium, but the 1513-18 coin is from when it was under English rule.
Collectors interested in Renaissance period coins should take a look at this Italian rare gold coin from the same time as the Tudor king was on the throne.
The groat presents the crowned and quartered arms of England and France on the obverse, with a lis to the left and a leopard to the right.
Very fine and extremely rare, it quadrupled its £5,000-6,000 estimate to sell for £26,400 ($41,200).
 Get your groat - The Henry IV piece has set a world record price |
Whilst this was more than the price of a Henry IV groat in the sale, the latter is in some ways more significant as the 1412-13 light coinage set a world record price for a truly English groat at £22,800 ($35,600).
The king stares out from the obverse of the unusually well struck full round coin. In good very fine condition, it is extremely rare to find a piece in such a state. Nevertheless, it had only been expected to achieve £6,000-8,000.
Spink held another, more worldwide sale of coins soon after the Brady auction. Watch this space for the results.
