Charles Stuart (Charles I) coins

I think the crown above the X is the same punch as that on the reverse of the Briot 1st milled double-crown. The relative sizes and profiles of the two are correct. That would pretty much condemn 1644 as a date for the weight and put it firmly in the early 1630s, not necessarily 1631-2 as the punch could be used later, but I would doubt that it would have happened later than 1638 when Briot introduced his next bust.

A real reservation I have about any idea of Royalist Civil War weights is that coins were only made from plate to pay the troops in the absence of existing coin. With a day rate for the cavalry of 2s6d and an infantryman 1s, there would be little reason to strike 10s or greater other than for possible payment to commanders or as presentation pieces. A pyx trial was never carried out on any provincial mint issues. Plate brought into a Royalist mint was weighed and a receipt issued. Any coins donated or taken would be turned around as pay.

 

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A belated confession: I originated this topic because I had just finished reading ………



……… for the third time. I love this diary - as I mentioned previously, I grew up in the midst of what had been the English Civil war northern theater of operations and in my youth was taught about the Civil War, Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Cavaliers & Round Heads, Lord Manchester & Fairfax, the battle of Preston, etc.

And I read Pepys’ diary. I have always been fascinated by his descriptions of life in London in those times: particularly during the outbreak of Bubonic Plague (1665) and the Great fire of London (1666) - besides, any man who stops at a pub each morning on his walk to work and consumes a breakfast consisting of plain hard bread, sharp cheddar cheese and a pint of bitter beer is my kind of guy!

But my main interest was, and always has been, the Romano-Britannic
History of the area in which I lived - especially the Roman Imperial coinage. I have devoted a great amount of time and effort in researching and writing about those subjects - especially during my home quarantine of this past pandemic year.

I got jaded by reading all that Romano-Britannic and Harold Mattingly writing (although I do love it) and took to reading about and researching the (almost) equally exciting history of the English Civil War that I know relatively little about as a relief.

Thus this thread. I want to pick the brains and harvest the collective knowledge of the members of this community who are devotees of the English Civil War (and see some of the great coins in the collections of CTers).

 

I don’t, Donna. I think I extrapolated that date information from Hibbert’s book C&R (Cavaliers and Roundheads) that I read recently. I will try and find that reference.

Ken never owned my collection. He is a good friend of mine who occasionally sells coins for me. You bought the same weight - congratulations.

 

Thanks, @jamesicus -- I look forward to getting it in the mail. I was pretty sure it was the same one, because the chances that you owned two like that seemed rather slim! And thanks for posting it here, because otherwise I never would have thought to look for something like that. I had no idea it existed.

 

Now I am getting somewhat confused: I thought someone mentioned the renowned Flemish artist Van Dyke and his relationship with Charles Stuart. It must have occurred in another thread, but it irritates me that I can’t find it.

Evidentally these men hit it off the first time they met because of their mutual love of horses - they both adored them: Charles liked to groom and ride them - Van Dyke liked to paint them.

Charles invited Van Dyke to join his court and live in the Royal palace, which he did until he died. During his lifetime Van Dyke produced numerous paintings of Charles on horseback many of which have survived to this day and are considered masterpieces.

Charles eventually invested Van Dyke as a British knight: Sir Anthony Van Dyke.

The style of beard that Van Dyke sported became very popular among the nobility of the day - Charles himself wore his beard in that fashion.



Charles I on his favorite charger with Van Dyke.