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Charles II (1660-85), Pattern Crown, 1663. The masterwork engraved by Thomas Simon with his Petition
to King Charles II in two lines on the edge, laureate and draped bust right, signed Simon below, Latin
legend and toothed border surrounding, CAROLVS II. DEI. GRA, Rev. crowned cruciform emblemat-
ic shields, pairs of interlinked Cs in angles, St. George and dragon in buckled garter in centre in garter
with French motto HONI. SOIT. QVI. MAL. Y. PENSE, date either side of top crown, Latin legend
and toothed border surrounding. MAG
BRI.FRET.HIB REX. Edge inscribed in small raised letters in
two lines except for double sized italic word “Majesty” witness line at start with pair of crowned inter-
linked Cs over pair of palm branches, THOMAS SIMON. MOST. HVMBLY. PRAYS .YOVR. MAJESTY
TO. COMPARE. THIS. HIS. TRYALL. PIECE. WITH. THE. DVTCH. AND. IF. MORE / TRVLY.
DRAWN. & EMBOSS’D. MORE. GRACE: FVLLY. ORDER’D. AND. MORE. ACCURATELY. EN-
GRAVEN. TO. RELIEVE. HIM., raised rim above and below, all lettering, drapery and neck, frosted in
a mezzotint style, weight 34.73g. (S 3354A; ESC 429 (72); L&S 6, and p.10, this piece listed; Bergne, NC
1854, p.137, no.7, this coin; Hocking 1360; KM PnB33). Some hairlines & buffing in obverse field in an-
tiquity, otherwise a superb example of the most famous coin in the entire British series. Only two others,
both inferior examples, sold at auction in the USA in the past 100 years, Wormser in 1992 and Jenks in
1921. Only sixteen believed to be extant, of which only five examples auctioned worldwide in the past 25
years, including this example, remain in private hands. Beautifully toned & this piece in the top three best
preserved examples in extremely fine condition. A highly desirable
extremely rare
piece celebrated as the
finest in numismatic artistry, in PCGS holder graded SP 53, Pop 1; the only example graded at PCGS. Only
1 example graded higher in MS-63 at NGC.
$550,000