Lot 4388
Great Britain. Crown, ND. S.2761. Charles I, 1625-1649. Tower mint under Parliament issue. Mint mark sun. Obverse, King Charles seated on a foreshortened horse, holding sword upright. Reverse, oval garnished shield with the royal arms and the motto CHRISTO AVSPICE REGNO ('I reign under the auspices of Christ'). Beautifully toned in pastel shades of blue, gold and grey, this piece is practically mint state and struck on a fairly round jumbo-size flan. Struck in the period 1645-1646, at a time of intense conflict, it glistens with original underlying luster and is the most spectacular silver crown of the English Civil War period that I have seen. This coin heralds from a couple of important collections, and not offered for sale for a long time. Nicer than the Slaney sale specimen (lot 42) which fetched £9,000 British Pounds (around $15,000) on 15 May 2003. NGC graded AU-55.
* The motto emblazoned on the reverse of this coin, and the rather haughty equestrian image of the king on the obverse must have caused consternation in the ranks of the Parliamentarians who controlled the King's mint. From the start of the Civil War, for three years or so, there had been a virtual stalemate in the fight between the forces of the king and Parliament. Charles failed to press home any early advantage and to take London. In 1643 when the Parliamentary forces were thrown into disarray by the deaths of both Pym and Hampden (two leading Members of Parliament) the king failed to do a deal with the moderates in Parliament, and by 1644 the figure of Oliver Cromwell had emerged. Cromwell established Parliament's professional and disciplined 'New Model Army' which in 1645 at the Battle of Naseby decisively beat the royalists. After briefly flirting with the Scots who first supported him and then abandoned him, by the start of 1647 Charles I was in the power of Cromwell's army. Soon, Cromwell, abandoned any attempt to compromise when faced by the king's ongoing intransigence. The Model Army showed it did not need the king by marching on London and taking control of the capital. Eventually it demanded that 'Charles Stuart, that man of blood,' be brought to account, and the rest is history. The king was tried and eventually executed on a chill winter's morning, 30 January 1649.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 12,000.
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| Realized $20,125 |
