The Lyall Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins

Virgin Islands – Tortola, Issues c. 1802-05, Quarter-Dollar, a lightweight cut quarter-segment of a Spanish-American 8 Réales, obv. a t scribed into the surface, rev. countermarked tirtila, 4.55g/70.2gr (cf. Prid. 9; Pridmore, SNC September 1974, type II). Coin fair, countermark very fine, extremely rare with the contemporary t £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Lyall Collection of Cut and Countermarked Coins.

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Collection

Provenance: Hopkins Hoard, SNC September 1974 (42); bt Spink 1975.

When the action to countermark cut segments with an incuse t terminated it would appear that the local population wanted some mark of authorisation and unstamped segments seemingly had a t scribed onto the surface. Several other specimens are recorded. As this specimen was part of the Hopkins Hoard it would have been examined by Fred Pridmore; it is unusual that Pridmore himself did not mention the additional mark