Hi Regarding a 1658 Oliver Cromwell crown. On an otherwise very authentic-looking coin (which has traces of the start of the famous obverse die break) is it concern that the edge lettering is absent (possibly flattened and removed)? Is it common for people to remove the edge letters, perhaps answering the challenge: HAS NISI PERITURUS MIHI ADIMAT NEMO? Asking for a friend
Yes it is cause for concern, but not necessarily a make or break diagnostic. Remember that the Cromwell coinage has always been popular (even just after the fall of the Commonwealth it is documented that coins depicting Cromwell were trading at 2-3 times nominal value), and as such, have always attracted fakers. Thusly, aged appearance, or the fact that the coin bears a particular die diagnostic mean very little. If you can supply pictures of the coin in question, I think that we can give you a much better idea of authenticity.
Unfortunately I don't have it in hand, nor do i have the weight, though the seller is reputable. But even the most reputable sellers miss things.
It looks ok - strike and patination are consistent with examples that I have handled in past, and there is nothing that jumps out as wrong (although the photos are not very close in). If the seller is reputable, I would ask them for weight, diameter and thickness before buying. This may well be a plain edge example, but weight will be the final piece pushing me one way or the other. I find it odd that what is ostensibly desirable / valuable coin is being advertized without enhanced photos or details as basic as weight.
Thank you for your comments. I’m reasonably knowledgeable about British coins (although not in depth with the Cromwell issues) so I concur with tour thoughts. I’ll follow up regarding the weight.
UPDATE: I didn't win the coin. The coin in question is this one FYI: https://live.noble.com.au/lots/view/4-2YT3NP/great-britain-silver-bronze-coins I waited until the auction was over before I shared the link.
For comparison, here's my Cromwell crown, 1658 over 7, S-2945A, that I've owned since the late 1980's. 30.1 grams This example does exhibit the typical die break on the obverse. As successive coins were struck, this die deteriorated, quite quickly I imagine, as other examples show a much more pronounced break.
