Coinage of the House of Stuart

Quote from the introduction to my previous thread titled Coins of the English Civil War Royals:

“I said that I was reducing my Ancient coin collection to just twenty coins - and I intend to abide by that commitment. So what about the coins in this post? Well I assert that they are not part of a collection - that they in fact represent coins that I have (mostly) uncovered in “odds and ends” boxes as I have been cleaning out my Scriptorium/Man-cave ……… coins that I tossed into those boxes for eventual research and proper storage - some of them many years ago.Why these particular coins? Well, I was born and grew up right in the middle of great British History. The well preserved Roman town site of Ribchester was only a short bicycle ride from my house. The Civil war battlefield of Preston, where the Parliamentarian forces achieved their crushing victory over The Royalists that effectively ended the war, was only a short bus ride away, and I have always been entranced by that conflict ……………”

This new thread is an expansion of that previous thread - I have now unearthed, and/or added a few more coins that resulted in a new web page that I have titled:

COINAGE OF THE HOUSE OF STUART

James I, Charles I, Charles II, James II, William & Mary, Queen Anne

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The Stuarts - a very comprehensive online biographical and historical reference resource

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James I (1603-1625) Silver Shilling (1603)


Tower Mint (First issue Thistle) Seaby 2645, North 2072, Diameter: 30.2mm, Weight: 5.17gm

Obverse depiction: James I wearing a crown, draped bust facing right
Inscription: IACOBVS DG ANG SCO FRA ET HIB REX - XII (left field, 12 pence=one shilling)
(James by the Grace of God King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland)

Reverse depiction: Centered Coat of Arms
Inscription: EXERGAT DEVS DISSPENTVR INIMIC
(Let God arise and his enemies be scattered)

Notes:
1. Also simultaneously King James VI of Scotland
2. Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament, November 5th, 1605

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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

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Charles II (1660-1685) Milled Silver Crown (1671)


SPINK 3358, Diameter: 38mm, Weight: 29.58gm

Obverse depiction: Draped bust facing right
Inscription: CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA
(Charles the second by the Grace of God)

Reverse depiction: Four crowned shields, cruciform, the top bearing the arms of England, the right bearing the arms of Scotland, the bottom bearing the arms of France and the left bearing the arms of Ireland. In the angles formed by adjoining shields are two intertwined C's. At the center is the Star of the Garter.
Inscription: MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX 16(71)
(King of Great Britain, France and Ireland)

Edge Inscription: * + * DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI VICESIMO TERTIO
(An Ornament and a Safeguard) {to deter edge clipping} followed by date of minting information.

Notes:
1. Milled coins with edge inscriptions adopted in 1662
2. Bubonic Plague epidemic 1665-1666
3. Great fire of London 2 September - 6 September 1666

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James II (1685-1688) bronze "Gun money" shilling (1689)


Dublin Mint, Diameter: 25mm, Weight: 5.33gm

Obverse depiction: James II bust facing left
Inscription: IACOBVS II DEI GRATIA
(James the second by the Grace of God)

Reverse depiction: Royal Crown, centered over crossed scepters.
Peripheral inscription: MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX 1689
(King of Great Britain, France and Ireland)
Inscription above Crown: XII (12 pence=one shilling)
Inscription below Crown in script: Jan (month of issue)
Inscription left and right of Crown in script: J R (James Rex)

Notes:
1. O'Brien Coin Guide: James II Gun money - an excellent online illustated reference

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William & Mary (1688-1694) copper half penny (1694)


Diameter: 28mm, Weight: 7.9gm

Obverse depiction: Cojoined laureate and draped busts facing right
Inscription: GVLIELMVS ET MARIA
(William & Mary)
Reverse depiction: Brittania,seated, left with shield and spear holding olive branch in right hand
Inscription: BRITANNIA - 1694 (exergue)

Notes:
1.Ruled as William III (1689-1702) and Mary II (1689- 1694)

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Queen Anne (1702-1714) bronze medal by Jean Dassier c. late 1700s


Diameter: 40.16mm, Weight: 29.07gm

Obverse depiction: Bust of Queen Anne, facing left, wearing royal regalia and crown
Inscription: ANNA DG M BR FR ET HIB REGINA
(Ann, by the grace of God Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland)

Reverse depiction: sarcophagus surmounted by Victory recording Queen Anne's deeds during her reign while seated on a cannon barrel amidst a pile of captured arms, standards and cannons. Above is depiction of Fame blowing her trumpet.
Inscription on side of sarcophagus:
NATA 6 FEBR 1665
CORONAT 23 APR 1702
MORT 1 AVG 1714
(Dates of Birth, Coronation and Death)

Notes:
1. Jean (John) Dassier, Medal Maker (1676-1763) - an excellent online reference

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Neat coins @jamesicus Thanks for sharing.

 

Very impressive coins! I just finished a good read, "Mary queen of scots" by Antonia Fraser, so this post is a perfect extension.
In my sub par British coin collection I've mostly been looking for Plantagenet and Tudor coins. Though I do have 1 very humble coin from the house of Stuart:


Charles I
British, House of Stuart.
1625-1649. AE farthing
(14.53 mm, .95 g, 12 h).
Tower mint. CAROLV D G
MA BRI, double-arched
crown, two crossed
scepters / FRA ET HI REX,
crowned rose. SCBC 3206;
North 2290

 

Really nice coins Jamesicusi also collect UK coins from Celtic thru to present Elizabeth II. Nothing yet from House of Stuart/ but I hopefully will grab one from upcoming Heritage signature April event.

 

Great presentation. Quite interesting. Thanks.

 

Thank you Randy.

 

James I (1603 - 1625 A.D.)
AR Shilling
O:· IACOBVS · D’ · G’ · MAG’ · BRIT’ · FRA’ · ET · HIB’ · REX ·, third bust right, crowned and mantled; XII (denomination) to left.
R: .EXVRGAT. DEVS. DISSIPENTVR. INIMICI., coat-of-arms. mm: lis
Tower (London) mint
30mm
6.17g
North 2099; SCBC 2654.


Charles I (1625 - 1649)
AR Shilling
O: CAROLVS D G MAG BRI FRA ET HIB REX (Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland), crowned bust left, XII (value mark) behind.
R: CHRISTO AVSPICE REGNO (I reign under the auspices of Christ), cross moline over square-topped shield coat-of-arms. Triangle-in-circle mintmark.
Tower Mint
6.16g
30mm
SCBC 2799, North 2231


Charles I (1625 - 1649 A.D.)
AR Half Crown
O: · · CAROL[V]S D’· G’· MAG’· BRI’· FRA’ ET · HIB’· REX ·, Charles on horseback left, holding reins with left hand and sword in right / (triangle in circle).
R: CHRISTO · AVSPICE · REGNO ·, oval coat-of-arms.
Group IV
Tower (London)Mint, Struck 1641 - 1642 A.D.
34mm
14.96g
Cf. Bull 463/31; Brooker 374 var. (HI not HIB); North 2214; SCBC 2779.

 

Thank you @Ryro - I like your “humble” House of Stuart Coin very much. I too enjoy reading the superb books of Antonia Fraser - her Charles II book is one of my favorite reads.

 

Thank you @panzerman - I do hope you snare a (gold?) House of Stuart coin in the upcoming Heritage Auction, for I always enjoy your coin selections so much! All gold coins of that Dynasty are very expensive (to me) - some particularly so. But you can do it Actually many House of Stuart silver denomination coins are also very expensive.

 

Thank you for posting those great coins of yours Mat.

 

Thank you @Robidoux Pass.

 

I find it hard to include meaningful historical notes with my coin entries. Sometimes I think the information is too verbose and superfluous - yet it oftentimes seems appropriate and particularly relevant.

For instance, in the case of Charles II - James II …………… When Charles II was restored to the Throne in 1660, he designated his brother James, the heir apparent, Duke of York and Duke of Albany and appointed him Grand Admiral of the Royal Navy. A subsequent naval conflict with the Dutch resulted in a victory for England mostly due to the leadership of James. Charles II thereupon rewarded James with a gift of the swath of land in North America settled by the Dutch called New Amsterdam (which they had ceded to England as reparation) which was subsequently renamed New York in honor of James who then selected the name Albany for a Capital city.

I find this historical information to be very fascinating.

I welcome any corrections or additions to the above.

 

Thanks for the brief but accurate history lesson! I collect British coins (Welsh if possible) due to our ancestors being part German and part Welsh.

 

Many half crowns of Charles I including mine below at 12.9g were clipped to relieve them of as much silver as someone thought he could get away with and still spend the thing. I fail to see how this one would fool anyone.

 

Thanks for that (as usual) illuminating post Doug. I agree with your observation.

 

I am surprised that so much "clipping" went on back then. The penalties were severe to put it mildly. Like pouring molten lead into a convicted clipper's eyes/ ears/ mouth

 

Thank you @whopper64. Purportedly (I cannot find my reference resource at present) many captured soldiers (from both sides?) were sent in servitude to the American colonies as punishment.

 

Does anyone else note what seems to be a greater than ordinary percentage of coins of this period are holed? It was a time of superstition when touch pieces were credited with curing disease and it was bad luck to have no money on one's person so it would make sense that a coin on a ribbon would be a good thing to carry. Whether this is why my coin has a hole or not, it provides an excuse to own a holed coin.
Charles I penny:

 

Nice obverse depiction on your coin BTW - Charles I wearing crown, with sword at present, riding a prancing horse.

 

I greatly admire those two Stuart sisters Mary and Anne (the two "ungrateful" daughters). Don't get me started. We have much to be thankful that these sisters ruled England and that they had usurped their sociopathic father James II.


(Farthing with portrait of William and Mary. Mary was the older of the two sisters and she died of smallpox in 1694.)

Here's a couple Queen Anne medals from an older post:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/is-a-wig-necessary-to-be-a-good-numismatist.327466/

I could delve into the politics of this fascinating period, but I would probably bore most people silly. That said, as much as I love ancient Roman history, most of my research over the last seven years has been on this period of history. Good stuff.

g.