Charles I Crown, Tower mint under Parliament Type 4, AU53

Charles I (1625-49),silver Crown, Tower Mint under Parliament, type IV, armoured King on horseback left with raised sword and flowing sash, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding both sides, initial mark sun both sides (1645-46), CAROLVS. D; G; MAG; BRI; FRA; ET. HIB; REX,rev.oval quartered shield of arms, .:. CHRISTO. AVSPICE. REGNO .:., weight 28.48g (Brooker 273; Cooper dies XXIV/XXXVIII; N.2198; S.2761).Attractively toned, usual striated strike for a Parliamentary issue, weak in parts, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as AU53, with an older provenance.

The abbreviated obverse legend translates as "Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland." and on the reverse "I reign under the auspice of Christ."

This coin is of the correct weight for the issue and the genuine die varieties are all recorded by F. R. Cooper in his 1968 article "Silver Crowns of the Tower Mint of Charles I" in the British Numismatic Journal viewable online at www.britnumsoc.org

Provenance:

Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, February 1898, page 2604, item 43180 listed at £5.

Ex A. L. Fuller (1870-1942) Collection of Bath.

It is interesting to note the prices of other coins being offered for sale in the February 1898 edition of Spink's Numismatic Circular at this time. Five Guinea pieces range in price from £6 for an EF 1701 fine work to £15 for a 1699 with a Vigo 5 Guinea at £25 and a Una and Lion £5 of 1839 for £11/10/-.