Lot 1159
Great Britain. Half Broad, 1658. Oliver Cromwell, as Lord Protector of England. Dutch dies after J.S. Tanner. Plain Edge. The digit "8" in the date is doubled, with a second cut under the first, out of line with the other numbers. Struck circa 1738; no half-broad of Cromwell is known from contemporary dies, and this has long been considered the greatest denomination-rarity of the Cromwell coinage. Fr-274; This piece is WR-43. R5: extremely rare, 6 to 10 known of this variety. In our previous Terner sale, we offered the Grained Edge piece, also of great rarity, which sold for $20,125. This coin is the complement, purchased together with the other in the mid-1980s when a great collection of Cromwell's coins was privately distributed. Henfrey, in his 1877 "bible" on the coins and seals of Oliver Cromwell, suggested that only 24 half-broads were known of all varieties. He believed there were only 7 known of this one, which puts it squarely within the R5 designation assigned by Wilson & Rasmussen in their year-2000 reference. This particular specimen is a spectacular example, grading MS64 and showing booming luster, a perfect strike for the variety, and wonderful eye-appeal. As well, it comes with an impeccable provenance, having previously been in two of the finest collections of British coins ever assembled: ex Montagu (1896) and Brice, whose magnificent collection was purchased en bloc by Montagu. A coin of inestimable importance, one of the truly great English milled gold coins! Price records to $35,000. PCGS graded MS-64.
Estimated Value $17,500 - 22,500.
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