The auction is now over after some very spirited, literally last minute, bidding. Here are the final results;

Lot #1 @ $135 next highest $120
Lot #2 @ $160 next $152
Lot #3 @ $45 next $40

Congratulations to the successful bidders and thanks to all for participating.

I guess the complicating fact with this tale is that the wife of a King is usually styled "Queen", the same as Queens who reign in their own right, but only the reigning ones are numbered. But husbands of reigning Queens aren't King unless it's a joint monarchy on theoretically equal terms (Philip & Mary, William & Mary being the only such pairings I can think of off-hand, the Marys being I and II accordingly). The lack of such a distinction is probably down to centuries-old sexism that we've just run with and not really given a second thought.

And just to confuse things further, the composer Eric Coates (d. 1957) wrote a piece he called the Three Elizabeths Suite - in honour of Elizabeth Tudor (Elizabeth I), Elizabeth the Queen Mother (the one on your gold medal), and Elizabeth II, our present Queen. Clearly the first two Queens consort that you mentioned didn't figure! There's a sort of logic to it, though, as in the 1950s there was (short-lived) talk of a "New Elizabethan Age", and it made sense for him to start with Elizabeth I accordingly, as well as honouring the still living wife of the late King, who remained very popular until her death in 2002 at the grand age of 101.

So in answer to your question, who came before Elizabeth the Second? It's simple: George the Sixth :-) (And she may be followed by George the Seventh, if Prince Charles gets his way, but that's another story ...)

Following up on the holiday-themed medals from December, here’s another of William H. Key’s Sunday School medals from 1880’s Philadelphia. Unlike most of the rest of the medals in the series, which are 38 mm in diameter, this smaller variety is just 26 mm. While this particular piece is unsigned, many of the other ones are signed “W.H. Key” and the dies can be linked up and the other pieces attributed to Key by comparing the many mules.

Happy Easter!

A bit over a year ago I published a pamphlet (978-0979759031) about a series of American Revolution Bicentennial Medals struck by Medallic Arts Company. One of the areas I was unable to make much progress at all was overall mintage numbers of the various medals. The company's records which the present owner was kind enough to consult on my behalf are incomplete, and my efforts elsewhere left me with incomplete results.

Since publication, I have frequently been in touch with an avid collector who has tried with a little more success to obtain this information, but frankly, we haven't made much progress uncovering these totals. I wonder if you would be kind enough to broadcast our query on The E-Sylum where I feel quite confident there is a member who knows much more about this than we have come up with.

I wanted to inform readers of the spectacular rarity I obtained at the last St. Maries County Coin Club. It is a 1911 Philadelphia mint $5.00 gold piece with an "S" mint mark (photos via Dave Schenkman) authenticated and graded by the well respected NGC which makes it an absolute rarity I'm sure.

How NGC came to realize that this was struck at the Philadelphia mint is a tribute to their expertise, they are truly quite wise. More interestingly, why did the Philadelphia mint make this coin with a San Francisco mint mark ? After checking many, many auction records going back many decades, this is the first to ever appear - Dave feels that it could be worth millions. This surpasses by far another rarity I came across years ago - a czarist gold 5 rouble of Catherine The Great authenticated and graded by the equally respected PCGS that actually was a gold 10 rouble, why the Russian mint master made this enigma remains an 18th century mystery to me.

I remain always eager to inform, advancing numismatic knowledge wherever and whenever I can.

David Alexander and I are scheduled to teach a medals course once again at this year's ANA Summer Seminar. We are continuing with our survey of American medals. There was so much material to cover in the Medal in America course last year that we just managed to cover the Colonial period and the Federal period into the 19th century.

This year, we are continuing with Exposition medals, So-called Dollars, Inaugural medals, American Art medals of the Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Contemporary periods, modern U.S. Mint medals and important medalists from St. Gaudens up to the present. Further information can be found in the Summer Seminar catalogue at the ANA website.

British Collectors have been warned not to store Beatrix Potter 50 p coins together. A London man found two in his change and put them aside. A week later he found they had bred another four coins!

A spokesperson explained that a few Petronella Rabbit coins were issued and NOT to leave them with Peter. “They breed, well, like rabbits”.

And in more news, collectors are awaiting the Spring when Mrs Tiggiwinkle 50ps will be available. A spokesperson explained that the coin featuring a hedgehog usually hibernates in Winter.