Charles Stuart (Charles I) coins

Charles I (1625-1649) Silver Half-Crown (1625)



Tower Mint (Harp), Seaby 2771, North 2207, Diameter: 35mm, Weight: 15.13gm
Obverse depiction: Charles I wearing crown and holding sword over his shoulder, mounted on plumed caparisoned horse walking left
Inscription: CAROLVS DG MAG BR FR ET HIB REX
(Charles by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland)

Reverse depiction: Garnished oval arms at center.
Inscription: CHRISTO AVSPICE REGNO
(I reign under the auspices of Christ)

Notes:
1. Conflict with Parliament over role of the Monarchy and Religion led to the outbreak of Civil war in 1642 - Royalists versus Parliamentarians (Cavaliers and Roundheads) which ended in victory for Parliament in 1648.
2. Charles I was the only English Monarch to be exectued in English history - charged and tried for treason by Parliament, found guilty and beheaded on 30 January 1649.
3. England was governed by Parliament (Oliver Cromwell) as a Protectorate/Commonwealth from 1649 until 1660.


Footnotes and further References:

• I was born and grew up in an area of Lancashire that had great historical association with the English Civil War (and coincidentally Roman Britain). Just a couple of miles from my house was the great historical estate of The Towneley family that dates back to the 1300s. Here is an excellent Towneley History that includes the participation of the family as Royalists in the English Civil War
• CAVALIERS AND ROUNDHEADS, The English Civil War, 1642-1649, Christopher Hibbert, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1993 - a very exhaustive and detailed account.
• The following Wikipedia pages provide a wealth of general information relating to the history, causes, events and aftermath of the English Civil War:
  The English Civil War
  The Restoration

 

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@jamesicus, that's an Absolutely Stunning, Superb halfcrown. For early Stuart, the legends by themselves are benignly crazy-making. ...Toning, and so forth ...reverential silence ensues.
Your reference to Hibbert's book is ringing Loud bells --don't have a copy, which surely means I never did (or it would still be here --had to check the shelves). Just lately, I've been looking at a halfcrown online, not remotely as good as yours, but correspondingly accessible. Not sure; might spring for it.
...And then there's the subcollection of halfgroats and pennies, Elizabeth to Charles II, that I put together, vaguely a decade ago, largely because they're just that fun, not least for the scale. ...With no pics. First time I even mentioned them, @DonnaML conveyed the wistful wish that I'd find the .jpgs. Now I'm wondering whether that was too long ago for me to have ever photographed them, or even to save the dealers' pics. ...If I ever summon the nerve to dredge up my antiquated, bottom-shelf digital camera --for which, I Promise you, my aptitude is distinctly south of marginal-- they'll be at the top of the list.

 

Beautiful coin and write-up, jamesicus. What an interesting, if often tragic period of history.

My only Charles I is a very unattractive half groat. From what I found researching it, this one was actually minted by Parliament, just before the infamous trial, etc.



Great Britain AR Half Groat
Charles I
Tower mint under Parliament
(1645-1648)
Mintmark: Sun
CAROLVS.D:G:M:R:F:ET:H:REX. sun mintmark, crowned bust left, II behind / shield of arms .IVSTITIA.THRONVM. FIRMAT., sun mintmark
Spink 2850
(0.86 grams / 17 mm)

 

Excellent coin and excellent post, James. English Civil War history has always been of interest to me. It’s a fascinating period. This was also the height of the witch accusations and executions. I’m a bit of an Anglophile with an affinity for the Royalists.

Here is my coin from the period. This was a 2018 bonus gift from a Secret Saturnalia Santa.

The engraving is of Charles I raising his royal standard at Nottingham in 1642. From Blackie's History of England, 1896. I love this illustration — you can almost hear the “Huzzahs.”

 

Wonderful writeup and Half-Crown, @jamesicus !

I regret I do not have any coins of his... historical vacuum for my collection...

 

Historical Vacuums Spoken Here!

 

Coins of this period often show poor or uneven strikes or clipped edges. Don't pay high prices for coins like mine unless you see something on the coin that makes the faults forgivable. Each my half crown and penny were cheap for more than one reason but had something I liked.

 

Thank you @+VGO.DVCKS! I appreciate your comments very much. I feel guilty in not answering your post in greater depth here now, but I will be back shortly to render a more suitable response.

 

"Richmond" copper Farthing (1625-1634)


Spink 3183, Diameter: 16.25mm, Weight: .51gm

Obverse depiction: Centered Large Crown with nine jewels over crossed Scepters
Inscription: CARO DG MAG BRI
(Charles by the Grace of God Great Britain)

Reverse depiction: Centered Large Crown with nine jewels over Harp with 6 strings.
Inscription: FRA ET HIB REX
(King of France and Ireland)

 

Yikes! For a Richmond farthing, that's Superb!

 

I used to have other coins of Charles I, but sold them over the years.

The only one I've held onto, fortunately, is the Oxford half pound, 1643.

60.2 grams, S-2945A



Here's the thread that I posted regarding this coin last year, on the world coins forum:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/an-oxford-half-pound-charles-i-1643.370401/

Edit: My faulty memory - I do have an Ormonde crown as well. This example has typical flat areas. Well struck examples are worth a premium.

29.2 grams, D-3792



For those interested in this period of British history, here's another thread from last year on Oliver Cromwell:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-...3-and-an-oliver-cromwell-crown-1658-7.370461/

 

@robinjojo, that's Phenomenal. Compared to typical strikes, it almost looks milled instead of hammered. Glad that's the one you hung on to.

 

I really like the modeling on the obverse of the first half-crown. In addition to being well struck, the horse and rider, Charles II, are rendered in a very dynamic way, unlike much of the coinage for that period, which is usually very stiff and almost mannequin-like.

 

Charles I bronze Crown weight (c. 1644)



Diameter: 17mm, Weight: 4.50gm, Whithers 292

Obverse depiction: Crowned bust of Charles I facing left

Inscription: CAROLVS REX (King Charles) small B below bust (initial of
Nicholas Briot, Royal chief die cutter.

Reverse depiction: Centered Crown over Inscriptional letters

Inscription: X over S centered below crown with lozenges either side

(Ten shillings)

Notes:

1. These were used by Merchants to verify weights of coins.
2. This one was most likely struck by the traveling mint of Charles I at New Inn Hall, Oxford, by the official Royal die cutter, Nicholas Briot, in 1644.
3. Numerous coin issues of Charles I were struck at traveling mints as he moved his headquarters around the country.
4. I included this mostly because of the great portrait of Charles I on the obverse and the detailed depiction of the crown on the reverse.

 

Exceptional coin @robinjojo - thanks.

 

Thank you. It is the cornerstone of my British collection.

 

Thanks for that great “Rose farthing” post, Deacon Ray! Very nicely laid out.
I posted my “Richmond farthing”, Ray.

 

That's a very interesting coin weight.

 

I am now straying into forbidden territory - please forgive me - but I simply cannot resist those magnificent machine made silver crowns of Charles II. This past year I finally treated myself to a couple of these whopper silver crowns. I don’t collect them and I really don’t know much about them but I love their heft and weight - one big hunk of pure silver!

Charles II 1662 silver Crown


CAROLVS · II·DEI·GRA …………………… MAG·BR·FRA·ET·HIB·REX·1662·
(Rose stamp below draped bust = made from native silver (western Britain/Wales).
First and third reverse shields have English and French arms quartered

Edge Inscription: * + * DECVS ET TVTAMEN
(An Ornament and a Safeguard)

Diameter: 40mm (first year issue large flan)
Weight: 29.57gm

Charles II 1671 silver Crown


CAROLVS·II · DEI·GRATIA ……………… MAG·BR·FRA·ET·HIB·REX·16(71)·

Edge Inscription: · DECVS · ET · TVTAMEN · ANNO · REGNI · VICESIMO · TERTIO
(An Ornament and a Safeguard - and year of minting)

Diameter: 38mm
Weight: 29.58gm

 

@robinjojo, the Ormonde crown is Just Fine, Just like it is!!!
Your earlier point about the modeling on the Oxford half crown is very well taken. The rendering of the horse's legs evokes someone who knew, as Charles must have, how to ride a horse. Reminds me of one of my favorite Debussy tunes, 'Cortege,' from the 'Petitite Suite' for piano four hands. (Best I could find from YouTube on short notice: )