Undated (ca. 1616) Sommer Islands Sixpence. BMA Type I, W-11445. Rarity-6. Large Portholes. Fine-12 (PCGS).A stunningly well detailed specimen of this issue. The hogge is not only complete, but well struck and nicely detailed, with finely rendered hair and a tuft of grass between his legs. The denomination is bold, and SOM is crisp. Portions of the rest of the legend are visible, though some areas are lost to corrosion related to this pieces ground exposure. The ship is fairly bold, with good internal detail and four complete portholes. The surfaces are attractive olive tan with highlights of jade green, smooth and glossy in some areas of the obverse fields and quite pitted in others. A crack is seen near the base of the obverse, beginning at the rim left of 6 oclock and then extending into the interior horizontally. The overall impression is that of a high grade specimen with a pleasing patina and bold visual appeal.<p><p>Of the 19 discrete examples of the Large Portholes variety of sixpence listed in <em>Coins of Bermuda</em>, no fewer than 11 are impounded in institutional collections, including 10 in Bermuda and a specimen at the ANS. Others were not listed, including the superb Dittmer specimen (Heritage, May 2022, NGC AU-50 at $120,000) or the identically graded Newman coin (Heritage, May 2014, $129,250 and again in January 2020). The Roper-Royse example reappeared at Heritage in August 2019, and the following month a new specimen in relatively low grade (PCGS VF Details--Environmental Damage) sold at Heritage as well. Four other individual examples of the Large Portholes variety, most rather corroded, were sold at auction between 2015 and 2018. There are at least two dozen of these now known and quite possibly a few more.PCGS# 5.From the Sydney F. Martin Collection. Earlier from Heritages sale of June 2008, lot 1818.
