170
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Session Seven - Wednesday, January 28, 2015 10:00 am
H
IGH
G
RADE
C
OMMOMWEALTH
1653 C
ROWN
4199
Great Britain. Crown, 1653
. S. 3214; ESC-6; Dav-3772.
Commonwealth, 1649-1660. Obverse, English shield of
arms within wreath, mint mark sun, THE COMMONWEALTH
OF ENGLAND. Reverse conjoined shields with mark of value
above and Cromwellian motto: GOD WITH US. Practically
mint state, and an exceptionally rare coin in this grade. The
stippled areas of the crosses on the shields are intact, and
this specimen has a handsome blue/grey toning. Usual
slightly irregular flan which is normal for this date.
NGC
graded AU-58.
WINGS APPROVED
.
* This was the largest (in size) coin struck during the Com-
monwealth period of 1649-1660, in the dark days after the
execution of king Charles I and before the eventual restora-
tion of the monarchy. All the Commonwealth crowns have
inscriptions in English instead of Latin (Cromwell associated
the use of Latin with popery) and for obvious reasons the
king's portrait had gone. St George's cross and the tradi-
tional Irish harp took the place of the royal arms, and Com-
monwealth coins are notable for their stark simplicity as
well as their great rarity. One of the finest examples extant
of an English non-portrait crown, produced in an era of
incredible change and uncertainty.
Estimated Value .................................... $10,000 - 12,000
4200
Great Britain. Shilling, 1663
. S.3371; ESC-1022. Charles II.
The first milled shilling issued after the restoration of the mon-
archy. Attractively toned and well struck with underlying original
luster. Practically mint state.
NGC graded AU-55
.
Estimated Value ..............................................$1,200 - 1,400
4201
Great Britain. Halfcrown, 1673
. S.3367; ESC-473. Charles
II. VICESIMO QVINTO in raised letters on edge. Richly toned
with no perceptible flaws.
NGC graded AU-50
.
Estimated Value ..............................................$1,100 - 1,300
4202
Great Britain. Farthing, 1673
. S.3394. Charles II.
NGC
graded VF-35 Brown
.
Estimated Value ................................................... $150 - 200
4203
Great Britain. Crown, 1687
. S.3407; ESC-78; Dav-3779.
James II, 1685-1688. Obverse, draped laureate bust of king
left. Reverse, crowned cruciform shields. Regnal year TERTIO
on edge in raised letters. Glossy mint state with all original mint
luster preserved, this coin radiates eye appeal. Unusually well
struck overall, there are only small areas of striking weakness.
This specimen has been better made than many of the silver
coins of this short reign.
NGC graded MS-62
.
* James II was king of England and Scotland (as James VII)
from 1685, the second son of Charles I. He succeeded his
brother King Charles II. James married Anne Hyde in 1659, the
mother of Mary II and Queen Anne. In 1673, after her death,
he married Mary of Modena, the mother of James Edward Stu-
art. He became a Catholic in 1671 and this led first to an
attempt to exclude him from the succession, and then to the
rebellions of Monmouth and Argyll, and finally to the Whig and
Tory leaders invitation to William of Orange to take the throne
in 1688. The coins of James II were minted in relatively low
numbers over a 3-year period and remain rare.
Estimated Value ..............................................$3,200 - 3,500
4204
Great Britain. Sixpence, 1688
. S.3413; ESC-1528 (R2).
James II. Mint state and sharply struck. This is the rarer year in
a brief two year series and considerably rarer than the six-
pences of Charles II, William III, Anne and the three Georges.
Beautifully toned and deceptively tough to find in the highest
grades.
NGC graded MS-63
.
Estimated Value ..............................................$2,300 - 2,500
