Lot 306
Great Britain. Triple Unite, 1643. S-2726; N-2383. 26.71 grams. Charles I, 1625-1649. Oxford mint. Crowned bust left, holding sword and branch, scarf behind king's shoulder. Reverse: Scrolled "Declaration." Plume mintmark. Lustrous and especially choice for issue, on a full flan with excellent sharpness for this massive piece, part of obverse legend at bottom doubled but otherwise crisp. Among the finest known. Very rare, especially in high grade. NGC graded MS-62.
In Charles's declaration of war against the rebel Parliamentarian forces, he promised that he would "Preserve the Protestant religion, the known laws of the land, and the just privileges and freedom of Parliament." This is depicted on the above coin's reverse as the continuous scroll with abbreviated Latin legend. The three plumes above it are the mark of mintmaster, Thomas Bushell, of the Aberystwyth mint (Wales), which provided the equipment for the Oxford coinage. Charles established his wartime headquarters in Oxford late in 1642, and began striking coins there. Most of the metal for his coins came from plate donated by colleges of the university.
Suprisingly, during the years from 1643 to 1649, while the Tower mint of London was fully under the control of Parliament, it continued to strike gold coins bearing Charles's portrait, name and titles. All undated, these pieces have a coat-of-arms on the reverse.
Estimated Value $40,000 - 50,000.
Ex Dr Jacob Y. Terner Collection (by private treaty to the Millennia Collection).
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| Realized $115,000 |
