Charles I Halfcrown Tower Mint mm bell, plumes over shield, Welsh silver

Charles I (1625-49), silver Halfcrown, Tower Mint, group 3b, struck from Welsh mined silver with plumes over shield on reverse, armoured King on horseback left, with sword and sash, beaded borders with abbreviated Latin legend surrounding, initial mark bell (1634-35), .CAROLVS D: G: MAG: BR: ET HIB: REX, rev. Welsh plumes over oval quartered shield of arms, beaded borders with abbreviated Latin legend surrounding, CHRISTO. AVSPICE. REGNO. weight 14.61g (cf.Bull 226/27; Brooker 322; N.2210; S.2774). Toned more so on reverse, perhaps once cleaned in parts, two short scratches under horse, a little weakly struck in parts of rim, otherwise with devices clear and sharp and a bold very fine, extremely rare with the plumes reverse in combination and exact die variety not recorded by Bull.

The Latin legends translates on obverse 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."

The plumes on the reverse indicates this coin is made from the Cardiganshire mines first smelted and used for coinage under Sir Hugh Myddleton who had died in December 1631. His wife Lady Elizabeth inherited her late husband's interests, and this coin would have been struck under her tenure pre-Thomas Bushell who she ended up selling the rights to in October of 1636.

Provenance:

Ex Baldwin Auction 101, 28^th September 2016, lot 3217.