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Charles I (1625-49), silver Pound, 1644. Oxford Mint, armored King on horseback left with raised sword
and flowing scarf, spirited horse trampling over arms and armor, Oxford plume in field behind, all within
beaded circle, legend and outer beaded circle surrounding, initial mark Oxford plume, CAROLVS D: G:
MAG: BRIT: FRA: ET HIBER: REX, Rev. Declaration in three lines in lion headed cartouche, RELIG:
PROT / :LEG: ANG: / LIBER: PAR: value and Oxford plumes above, date and OX below, beaded circles
and legend surrounding.EXVRGAT. DEVS. DISSIPENTVR. INIMICI smaller lettering than obverse
side, weight 118.92g (Brooker 865; Morrieson A-1; N 2402; S 2943). Toned. Some raised die striations on
reverse, as is typical of this issue but a strong crisp striking of both obverse & reverse. A beautiful example
of this
extremely rare
& desirably important piece which is among the finest known. in a PCGS holder grad-
ed AU 53, the reverse better and practically as struck, Pop 1; the only example graded at PCGS. The only
other slabbed example is an NGC EF-45. We believe this coin should be regraded a few points higher, very
close to mint state.
$250,000
Ex Hyman Montagu, English Coins, third portion, Sotheby, 13th -20th November 1896, Lot 95 and plate VIII, sold for £36 to
dealer Verity.
Ex Thomas Bliss, Sotheby, 22nd -24th March 1916, Lot 429, with illustration.
Ex Virgil M Brand, died 1926, collection dispersed post mortem, after 1932. Sold by A H Baldwin and Sons Ltd, September
1941.
Ex Herbert.M. Lingford, part I, Glendining 24th October 1950, Lot 162 with illustration, sold for £160.
Ex Slaney Collection, part II, Spink Coin Auction, 14th May 2015, Lot 345, sold for US dollar equivalent of nearly $227,000
with buyers premium.
PCGS certification 34484795. Such large pieces were struck, as the largest silver currency pieces ever issued in the British series
(in the pre-decimal era) to be originally given as Royalist gifts to senior officers in the cavalier army of Charles I. They were highly
prized and struck to a very high standard of silver content as pieces of some of the finest engraving work of the era. Highly covet-
ed by the few who received them, the finest emanation of which is this final “cartouche” type struck in 1644. The abbreviated Latin
legends translate as on obverse “Charles by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland,” and on the reverse the
cartouche Declaration as Charles I gave to the Privy Council at Wellington, Shropshire on 19th September 1642 as “The Religion
of the Protestants, the Laws of England, the Liberty of Parliament” which when shown in full Latin should read “Religio Protes-
tantium Leges Angliae Libertas Parliamenti,” the outer legend translates as “Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered,” a Psalm
from the Bible. Ox for Oxford is shown below the date where the King had moved his Royalist capital from 29th October 1642.