At least I have this ... Here is another view of it, which shows the luster, but also some of the warts. This is a King James I coin, a half laurel. It had a value of ten shillings, which was marked on the piece with the Roman numeral "X". It was introduced in 1619, the year before the Mayflower voyage. The coin got its name from the laural wreath the king is wearing on the obverse. Many other gold coins were issued during James I's reign. They included sovereign, the angel, the crown, Spur ryal and new denomination, the Unite. This coin, which had a value of 20 shillings, and later 22 shillings, celebrated the uniting of the Scotish and English crowns under James I. By 1612, the value of gold had reached the point where the value of the gold coins in circulation had be raised, or the weight over the new gold coins had to be lower. This accounted for the introduction of the laural. The laural would be issued for a very short period. By the time James' son, Charles I came to the throne in 1625, it's time had ended. Still, it is interesting to be able to hold a coin in your hands that existed at the time when the Mayflower set sail. And, yes I was able to order the two piece Mayflower commemorative set this morning.
This is why I love this site - I get introduced to so many different niches & sub-sets of numismatics here - so many educated & experienced collectors that willingly share all of their knowledge for others. I love learning about ancients, early gold, tokens. Just thought I would let you all know it is appreciated. Cheers.
