Charles I Pontefract Besieged Shilling 1648, S-3151, North-2649 (as rare), VF35 NGC. The seldom seen siege coin minted after the death of Charles I (on January 30, 1649) and bearing the name of Charles II. Struck on an eight-sided flan cut from silver plate, this coin evidences wear in the centers as well as a typical, imperfect strike. However, the surfaces are little marked and the border is consistently broad. The toning is a multi-hued silvery gold, and the important legends are evenly sharp for the amount of use this coin experienced. The present coin is so rare that it is not illustrated in either the SCBC or North, and only a few pieces of this variety have appeared at auction in recent times. The medieval castle at Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, was key to the royalist hold of the region. It was besieged twice, first just before Christmas 1644, enduring bombardment; during the short periods lacking warfare the castle still lacked access to normal supplies. It was surrendered in July 1645, only to be attacked again in the early summer of 1648 during the second segment of the Civil War. The royalist army refused to surrender even after the king was captured, tried, and executed, declaring the city to be the property of the king's son and employing the city's motto, "Post mortem patris pro filio", in support of the monarchy. After a continual siege of nine months, the city and castle were surrendered to Oliver Cromwell himself. Because the castle had long been poorly maintained and was difficult to defend, Parliament ordered it demolished before the year ended. J.J. North comments that the "main issue of Pontefract consists of shillings, which have a representation of the castle gateway as reverse type. As the siege continued after the death of Charles I, some of these bear the name of his son Charles II, with the inscription POST MORTEM PATRIS PRO FILIO (After the death of his father, for the son)." On the other side appears the Latin slogan HANC DEVS DEDIT ("God has given this") and the date (very clear) below, yet another indication of the monarchy's ancient claim to rule as its divine right. C.E. Challis illuminates the rarity of these late Civil War issues thus: "Apart from their numismatic interest, which they share with the siege-pieces struck in the beleaguered royalist fortresses at Carlisle, Newark, Pontefract and Scarborough, all the royalist provincial coinages of the civil war have one thing in common, fewness of numbers. For all his access to the silver from Wales and the plate of colleges, aristocrats and the like, Charles I never achieved a bullion supply in any way commensurate with that of Parliament. In all probability the output of all his mints during the entire conflict was no more in total than two or three average month's output at the Tower between 1642 and 1645." Most siege coins in fact are wretched in quality; many are bent, holed or defaced. This historic coin, struck within Pontefract castle during a fleeting horrific moment in time, is undamaged and is truly more elusive, in the absolute sense, than many better known rarities. This lot offers a special opportunity for the scholarly numismatist. Realized $10,575.00. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
Charles I Pontefract Besieged Shilling 1648, S-3151, North-2649 (as rare), VF35 NGC. The seldom seen siege coin minted after the death of Charles I (on January 30, 1649) and bearing the name of Charles II. Struck on an eight-sided flan cut from silver plate, this coin evidences wear in the centers as well as a typical, imperfect strike. However, the surfaces are little marked and the border is consistently broad. The toning is a multi-hued silvery gold, and the important legends are evenly sharp for the amount of use this coin experienced. The present coin is so rare that it is not illustrated in either the SCBC or North, and only a few pieces of this variety have appeared at auction in recent times. The medieval castle at Pontefract, in West Yorkshire, was key to the royalist hold of the region. It was besieged twice, first just before Christmas 1644, enduring bombardment; during the short periods lacking warfare the castle still lacked access to normal supplies. It was surrendered in July 1645, only to be attacked again in the early summer of 1648 during the second segment of the Civil War. The royalist army refused to surrender even after the king was captured, tried, and executed, declaring the city to be the property of the king's son and employing the city's motto, "Post mortem patris pro filio", in support of the monarchy. After a continual siege of nine months, the city and castle were surrendered to Oliver Cromwell himself. Because the castle had long been poorly maintained and was difficult to defend, Parliament ordered it demolished before the year ended. J.J. North comments that the "main issue of Pontefract consists of shillings, which have a representation of the castle gateway as reverse type. As the siege continued after the death of Charles I, some of these bear the name of his son Charles II, with the inscription POST MORTEM PATRIS PRO FILIO (After the death of his father, for the son)." On the other side appears the Latin slogan HANC DEVS DEDIT ("God has given this") and the date (very clear) below, yet another indication of the monarchy's ancient claim to rule as its divine right. C.E. Challis illuminates the rarity of these late Civil War issues thus: "Apart from their numismatic interest, which they share with the siege-pieces struck in the beleaguered royalist fortresses at Carlisle, Newark, Pontefract and Scarborough, all the royalist provincial coinages of the civil war have one thing in common, fewness of numbers. For all his access to the silver from Wales and the plate of colleges, aristocrats and the like, Charles I never achieved a bullion supply in any way commensurate with that of Parliament. In all probability the output of all his mints during the entire conflict was no more in total than two or three average month's output at the Tower between 1642 and 1645." Most siege coins in fact are wretched in quality; many are bent, holed or defaced. This historic coin, struck within Pontefract castle during a fleeting horrific moment in time, is undamaged and is truly more elusive, in the absolute sense, than many better known rarities. This lot offers a special opportunity for the scholarly numismatist. Realized $10,575.00. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
Charles I Pontefract Shilling 1648, S-3149, North-2647 (rare), XF40 NGC. "Lozenge-shaped" flan, of exceptionally good quality metal. Lightly struck but a well-preserved example of this classic siege coin, which is light gray in color and without damage. The obverse features a simple but highly significant "royal" crown above the king's abbreviated title ("CR"), with a centering dot. Its legend DVM SPIRO SPERO in Latin translates to mean "Whilst I live, I hope" (a touching slogan, given our historical perspective). This was used on the Pontefract siege coins while the war continued even though King Charles had been defeated and was in prison; his army refused to surrender, and carried on with the defense of the castle. More distinctive is the reverse, which adheres to the theme of resistance, showing the gate of Pontefract castle, portcullis drawn up, "XII" for the denomination between sideways engraved "P C" opposed by "OBS" for besieged. While not fully detailed on this specimen, this motif is exceptionally clear and evenly struck, including the date 1648 below. The siege of Pontefract castle lasted from June 1648 through March of 1649 (two months after the king was executed on the 30th of January 1649). This is a later piece, with the noted details ("P C" and "XII") to right of the castle, replacing the earlier-used hand holding an upright sword protruding from the right tower of the castle. Historically significant as one of the rarer pieces of emergency money that was issued during the civil war which temporarily ended the monarchy. After the fall of Charles's resilient army, the castle was torn down. Realized $9,987.50. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
Charles I Pontefract Shilling 1648, S-3149, North-2647 (rare), XF40 NGC. "Lozenge-shaped" flan, of exceptionally good quality metal. Lightly struck but a well-preserved example of this classic siege coin, which is light gray in color and without damage. The obverse features a simple but highly significant "royal" crown above the king's abbreviated title ("CR"), with a centering dot. Its legend DVM SPIRO SPERO in Latin translates to mean "Whilst I live, I hope" (a touching slogan, given our historical perspective). This was used on the Pontefract siege coins while the war continued even though King Charles had been defeated and was in prison; his army refused to surrender, and carried on with the defense of the castle. More distinctive is the reverse, which adheres to the theme of resistance, showing the gate of Pontefract castle, portcullis drawn up, "XII" for the denomination between sideways engraved "P C" opposed by "OBS" for besieged. While not fully detailed on this specimen, this motif is exceptionally clear and evenly struck, including the date 1648 below. The siege of Pontefract castle lasted from June 1648 through March of 1649 (two months after the king was executed on the 30th of January 1649). This is a later piece, with the noted details ("P C" and "XII") to right of the castle, replacing the earlier-used hand holding an upright sword protruding from the right tower of the castle. Historically significant as one of the rarer pieces of emergency money that was issued during the civil war which temporarily ended the monarchy. After the fall of Charles's resilient army, the castle was torn down. Realized $9,987.50. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
Charles I Shrewsbury Half Pound 1642, S-2920, North-2364 (rare), VF30 NGC. No ornaments beneath the horseman, pellets in place of mintmark. An evenly worn example of this Civil War issue struck at the temporary mint located southeast of Chester, The flan is undamaged and generally of good shape; the equestrian king and his steed are fairly clear; there is some doubling in the legends, but the lettering is all clear and easily read; the surfaces are toned a light silvery gray. The famous Declaration, which set the nation to war, appears in well-detailed letters in two lines. The date 1642 is sharp directly beneath, and above the Declaration appear three clear Shrewsbury plumes with the value "X" (10 shillings) beneath the central plumes and a stop, or dot, on each side. This issue was among the last, and one of the largest in silver, to feature the defiant Latin legend which declared the king's divine or absolute right to rule his land, EXVRGAT DEVS DISSIPENTVR INIMICE, taken from Psalm lxvii.1 and translating to warn Charles's enemies thus: "Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered." After this coin was struck, the Civil War continued in two segments in which, not his enemies, but King Charles's own troops suffered scattering as a result of tangling with the army of Oliver Cromwell. This ended, of course, in the final surrender of the monarchy when King Charles was beheaded for "treason" -- and a bitter, difficult decade followed, the 1650s, the only period in history when England had no monarch. The date 1642 is particularly significant as it was in this year that Cromwell raised troops for Parliament against the king, and Charles in reaction issued his defiant Declaration at Wellington (the slogan of which he then had placed on many of his coins as a political message). This was also the year in which Charles ordered his mint moved from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury. Beginning in the middle of October three denominations were minted there: the huge Triple Unite made of gold, and the thick Pound and Half-Pound coins made from silver mined in Wales -- all important early-war money made for a conflict which ended in the defeat of the monarchy and altered the course of history. Realized $6,462.50. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
Charles I Shrewsbury Half Pound 1642, S-2920, North-2364 (rare), VF30 NGC. No ornaments beneath the horseman, pellets in place of mintmark. An evenly worn example of this Civil War issue struck at the temporary mint located southeast of Chester, The flan is undamaged and generally of good shape; the equestrian king and his steed are fairly clear; there is some doubling in the legends, but the lettering is all clear and easily read; the surfaces are toned a light silvery gray. The famous Declaration, which set the nation to war, appears in well-detailed letters in two lines. The date 1642 is sharp directly beneath, and above the Declaration appear three clear Shrewsbury plumes with the value "X" (10 shillings) beneath the central plumes and a stop, or dot, on each side. This issue was among the last, and one of the largest in silver, to feature the defiant Latin legend which declared the king's divine or absolute right to rule his land, EXVRGAT DEVS DISSIPENTVR INIMICE, taken from Psalm lxvii.1 and translating to warn Charles's enemies thus: "Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered." After this coin was struck, the Civil War continued in two segments in which, not his enemies, but King Charles's own troops suffered scattering as a result of tangling with the army of Oliver Cromwell. This ended, of course, in the final surrender of the monarchy when King Charles was beheaded for "treason" -- and a bitter, difficult decade followed, the 1650s, the only period in history when England had no monarch. The date 1642 is particularly significant as it was in this year that Cromwell raised troops for Parliament against the king, and Charles in reaction issued his defiant Declaration at Wellington (the slogan of which he then had placed on many of his coins as a political message). This was also the year in which Charles ordered his mint moved from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury. Beginning in the middle of October three denominations were minted there: the huge Triple Unite made of gold, and the thick Pound and Half-Pound coins made from silver mined in Wales -- all important early-war money made for a conflict which ended in the defeat of the monarchy and altered the course of history. Realized $6,462.50. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
James I gold Rose-Ryal ND, S-2632, North-2108 (rare), UNC Details "Rev Scratched" NGC. 3rd Coinage, Lis mm (struck 1623-24). Struck on a broad flan with mostly bold details. The king's facial features are clear as are all the features of the central shield on reverse; ancient fine scratches are seen in the field to left of the shield; both inner and outer beaded circles are well defined as are details of the encircling band of lis, lions and crowns. The legends and the Lis mintmark on each side are also nice and sharp, and the full flan is replete with lovely golden toning. The two types of Ryals struck during this reign are among the largest and most intrinsically valuable coins of the late Renaissance, valued at 30 Shillings from 1603 through 1611, but briefly valued at 33 Shillings throughout the remainder of the 2nd Coinage, ending in 1619. The fluctuating value caused melting for profit, which diminished the number extant. When the redesigned gold Ryal was introduced in 1619 for the 3rd Coinage, it reverted to its traditional value of 30 Shillings until the reign ended. This last issue, which is rarer than the first, is easily identified by its value being engraved on the reverse side just above the shield as well as by the side-facing portrait of James artistically enclosed within the diapered background of his throne and an ornately decorated field surrounding the throne. More perspective is seen on the throne than on the earlier issue. The king's feet still rest on a portcullis but it too has been redesigned to be a larger feature. This beautiful coin, with its sharply struck details, indeed reveals characteristics of style that distinguish it as a late Renaissance issue. Another advance seen on these coins was the use of marks of value -- such as the "XXX" seen on this coin, stating a value of 30 Shillings. Although not all coins of this period display marks of value, the practice became more and more frequent throughout the century until, in the Commonwealth period, it became the standard used until the era of Milled Coinage did away with it again. By then, the technically finer quality coins, made possible by the new minting machines and finer engraving tools, allowed for a more consistently superior coinage in both silver and gold. The charming results of hand-engraved broad dies used to strike thin, nearly pure gold coins soon became a lost art, and both the men who made them and the coins themselves drifted into history. Ex: ?Colonel? E.H.R. Green; Green Estate? Partnership of Eric P Newman / B.G. Johnson. Realized $31,725.00. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
James I gold Rose-Ryal ND, S-2632, North-2108 (rare), UNC Details "Rev Scratched" NGC. 3rd Coinage, Lis mm (struck 1623-24). Struck on a broad flan with mostly bold details. The king's facial features are clear as are all the features of the central shield on reverse; ancient fine scratches are seen in the field to left of the shield; both inner and outer beaded circles are well defined as are details of the encircling band of lis, lions and crowns. The legends and the Lis mintmark on each side are also nice and sharp, and the full flan is replete with lovely golden toning. The two types of Ryals struck during this reign are among the largest and most intrinsically valuable coins of the late Renaissance, valued at 30 Shillings from 1603 through 1611, but briefly valued at 33 Shillings throughout the remainder of the 2nd Coinage, ending in 1619. The fluctuating value caused melting for profit, which diminished the number extant. When the redesigned gold Ryal was introduced in 1619 for the 3rd Coinage, it reverted to its traditional value of 30 Shillings until the reign ended. This last issue, which is rarer than the first, is easily identified by its value being engraved on the reverse side just above the shield as well as by the side-facing portrait of James artistically enclosed within the diapered background of his throne and an ornately decorated field surrounding the throne. More perspective is seen on the throne than on the earlier issue. The king's feet still rest on a portcullis but it too has been redesigned to be a larger feature. This beautiful coin, with its sharply struck details, indeed reveals characteristics of style that distinguish it as a late Renaissance issue. Another advance seen on these coins was the use of marks of value -- such as the "XXX" seen on this coin, stating a value of 30 Shillings. Although not all coins of this period display marks of value, the practice became more and more frequent throughout the century until, in the Commonwealth period, it became the standard used until the era of Milled Coinage did away with it again. By then, the technically finer quality coins, made possible by the new minting machines and finer engraving tools, allowed for a more consistently superior coinage in both silver and gold. The charming results of hand-engraved broad dies used to strike thin, nearly pure gold coins soon became a lost art, and both the men who made them and the coins themselves drifted into history. Ex: ?Colonel? E.H.R. Green; Green Estate? Partnership of Eric P Newman / B.G. Johnson. Realized $31,725.00. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
James I gold Angel "Touch Piece" ND, S-2616, North-2081 (rare), 2nd Coinage (of 1604-19), Escallop mm (struck 1606-07), pierced as a touch piece, AU Details (Holed Planchet Cracked) NGC. An impressive example having a full, broad flan with the obverse rim beading much in evidence. This example was pierced at or near the time of issue for use as a talisman; the piercing goes through the back of the Saint Michael's head but his face still shows. The angel and dragon are both well detailed and generally sharp in strike. On the reverse, the ship is largely unaffected by the piercing and still sharply defined, with the beaded rim here also mostly intact. The flan is exceptional despite a light crack from being pierced, and the color is a pleasing "old gold" in various hues. The ancient hole is, in fact, tidy, whereas many extant touch pieces show a crudely made hole. Historically, the gold Angel was a dependable standard of medieval money of a value which guaranteed a fairly wide usage. By the time this coin was made, at the beginning of the English Renaissance, its main purpose was often to be a religious charm, thought to ward off disease and harm; Saint Michael, the "dragon slayer" of legend, could be called upon by being touched by the wearer to use his powers against evils of all sorts. It is not, therefore, technically correct to suggest that this historical coin is not "gradable" but damaged. It is, in fact, desirable because it is holed --?valuable not only as money but as a religious charm in which an entire society had faith. Realized $2,820.00. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
James I gold Angel "Touch Piece" ND, S-2616, North-2081 (rare), 2nd Coinage (of 1604-19), Escallop mm (struck 1606-07), pierced as a touch piece, AU Details (Holed Planchet Cracked) NGC. An impressive example having a full, broad flan with the obverse rim beading much in evidence. This example was pierced at or near the time of issue for use as a talisman; the piercing goes through the back of the Saint Michael's head but his face still shows. The angel and dragon are both well detailed and generally sharp in strike. On the reverse, the ship is largely unaffected by the piercing and still sharply defined, with the beaded rim here also mostly intact. The flan is exceptional despite a light crack from being pierced, and the color is a pleasing "old gold" in various hues. The ancient hole is, in fact, tidy, whereas many extant touch pieces show a crudely made hole. Historically, the gold Angel was a dependable standard of medieval money of a value which guaranteed a fairly wide usage. By the time this coin was made, at the beginning of the English Renaissance, its main purpose was often to be a religious charm, thought to ward off disease and harm; Saint Michael, the "dragon slayer" of legend, could be called upon by being touched by the wearer to use his powers against evils of all sorts. It is not, therefore, technically correct to suggest that this historical coin is not "gradable" but damaged. It is, in fact, desirable because it is holed --?valuable not only as money but as a religious charm in which an entire society had faith. Realized $2,820.00. Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions.