Elizabethan Rarity...cypher Or Anchor?

[Coinery 1,157]

I'm going to email a couple of serious collectors of E1 coins to ask the question 'which is the rarer mark, Cypher or Anchor'?

It's not something that can can be easily deciphered from the BCW work (though I will put it to Chris), as the Pyx is not available for either mark! The research collection of BCW is not a good reference, as the rarer pieces are commonly better represented by collectors accumulating the those pieces!

What's clear however is that, excepting a couple of extremely rare variety pieces, the anchor and cypher are the rarest marks...but which is the rarest of all?

It is my own personal observation that the cypher is rarest, any other thoughts ahead of further feedback?

[Rob 3,152]

I'll go with cypher overall rarest, just. Gut instinct is shillings and sixpences anchor rarest, halfgroats to halfpence cypher is rarest. I think halfgroats are difficult to find for both marks but again cypher just edges it. Can't speak for the gold.

[Coinery 1,157]

I'll go with cypher overall rarest, just. Gut instinct is shillings and sixpences anchor rarest, halfgroats to halfpence cypher is rarest. I think halfgroats are difficult to find for both marks but again cypher just edges it. Can't speak for the gold.

It's interesting you should say that, as I was just concluding something similar from the BCW figures! In my above post I was saying the rarity of certain marks were difficult to evaluate against the general population of coins in the BCW sample. However, I guess, if you look at rarity against rarity, there is some useful information, as the rarity collector influence is ruled out to some extent!

Looking at the BCW collection, the anchor would just appear to nick the top spot for the shilling, at least on paper...the sixpence looks to be split, depending on the year, with the 1599 (which is the anchor date most commonly seen, with 3 or 4 examples showing up recently) being less rare than a Cypher, but the 98 and 1600 anchor looking to be the rarest of all E1 6d's??

It'll be interesting to see what else comes back! Do you mind if I use your thoughts in my emails as part of what I might call an early general consensus?

Anyone else fancy a shot for balance?

[Rob 3,152]

That isn't based on a scientific survey, just a mental census of what I remember seeing in the past. I haven't split the years for the sixpences, just the marks.

[Coinery 1,157]

That isn't based on a scientific survey, just a mental census of what I remember seeing in the past. I haven't split the years for the sixpences, just the marks.

I think a mental census is all there is to go on at the moment, aside from the obvious rarity of the two marks themselves!

Gut stuff, and recalled experience of what's been observed, if similarly reported, would be a reasonable start!

On reflection the information from others' would be more valid if I didn't submit a general consensus statement.

It'll be interesting, though I'd be surprised to find any significant deviation from what's been said so far??

Edit: I managed to grab a cypher HP tonight, something I've never seen for sale before!

Edited January 20, 2014 by Coinery