Lot 310
Great Britain. Silver Oxford Pound, 1642. S-2941. 120.06 grams. Charles I, 1625-1649. Oxford mint. Plume/seven pellets. Shrewsbury horseman: the king crowned, in armor and holding sword upright, riding left over arms above the ground-line, Oxford plume behind. Reverse: Declaration: RELIG:PROT:LEG ANGL:LIBER:PARL in two lines, three Oxford plumes and value above. Excellent full round specimen. Handsome old toning. Unusually fine rims, with only minor annealing flaws. Very rare, especially in high grade such as this excellent specimen. NGC graded AU-50.
During the Civil War, Parliament was in control of London and the prosperous southeast of England. Therefore much of the bullion they struck into coin had come, and was coming into the country, from the usual trade and commerce sources. Whereas, for Charles, his access to silver was primarily from the active mining operations located in Wales, since he and his partisans controlled the Midlands and the west of England. Adding to these were private contributions from supporters. Those from the colleges in Oxford, where Charles would eventually set up a wartime mint, were especially generous. Charles rarely was in a position to strike gold, even though Prince Rupert would capture Bristol in 1643, giving the royalists for awhile the possession of a major commercial entrepot. Thus most of the King's mints while he was in exile from London struck nothing but silver, and his troops were paid almost exclusively in silver.
For later numismatists and collectors, this reign would prove more fascinating than usual because of the diverse and large variety of denominations and issuing mints, plus the bonus of the sometimes odd, but always interesting, siege money. The Oxford Pound is one of the great classics of its era, with few ever trading in any given year because of its overall rarity. At nearly 3.86 troy ounces, this is the largest and one of the most spectacular of all English silver coins.
Estimated Value $15,000 - 20,000.
Ex Willis Collection, Glendining & Co. (6-5-91).
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| Realized $32,200 |
