| Description |
The stamp is difficult to interpret due to extreme degradation of the host coin. It appears to read ?I.N / (Fleur de lis)? with all devices raised in a badge-like shaped depression. The actual badge or crest itself remains unidentified. I believe the stamp struck over William's portrait is meant as a defacement and thus a show of support for the deposed Catholic King James ll. The Fleur de lis is of special interest as it suggests a French connection. James had significant support in France and it became his place of refuge after fleeing Ireland in December, 1688 at the culmination of the so-called Glourious Revolution. Not only that, but he had a familial connection to the French King Louis XlV. They were cousins. Though the actual purpose of the counterstamp is unclear, its intent seems politically motivated. The coin was recovered by a man in London earlier this year. He and the seller are both members of a group of treasure hunters known as the Thames Mudlarks who search the foreshore of the Thames River for historic artifacts. This was recovered on the north shore between Blackfriars Bridge and London Bridge. Purchased from Mark Paros / Edgware, Middlesex, UK. (My. 7, 2022) ($6). |
 3.JPG)