An extremely rare £1 coin from the start of the English Civil War has emerged for sale at auction with an estimate of £20,000 – but could go for up to £50,000.
The solid silver ‘Declaration Pound’ dates from 1643 and was struck in Oxford, a newly-forged seat of power for Charles I after he withdrew from London.
A new parliament was set up as was a mint at New Inn Hall that was created to launch an official currency in Royalist control.
The legend on the back of the coin translates as ‘Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered’.
It is literally a declaration of the king’s power and his belief in the ‘absolute monarch’. This coin is a rare survival from the last years of the doomed monarch’s reign.
The large coin that is over two inches across remains in very good condition and has been well kept over the years.
It was discovered when the owner took it into Duke’s auction house in Dorchester, Dorset, without knowing what it was.
In the year in which this coin was struck, Oliver Cromwell formed his troop of “Ironsides”.
It was a disciplined unit of soldiers that demonstrated Cromwell’s military leadership and became one of the Parliamentarian’s main driving forces in the years to come.
In the same year there were many significant battles and sieges with victories for both the Royalists and Parliamentarians.
Timothy Medhurst, a coin specialist and auctioneer at Duke’s, said it was the type of item he dreams of finding.
He said: “This coin marked Charles I’s attempts to regain his failing power and it represents a pivotal moment in the history of the British Isles.
“It is a coin which is rare to find and it will cause a stir in the coin collecting world.
“The value of coins from this period are at an all-time high, and it will be highly sought after.
“The coin has been handed down through several generations to the current owner, who had no idea of its value and is as excited about the auction at Duke’s on the 12th of March as I am.
“‘It is fair to say that 1643 was a crucial year in the history of the Civil War and it is fascinating to think that this coin was produced by hand, in silver, at such a tumultuous time.
“It was only six years after this coin was struck that Charles I was beheaded and labelled as ‘tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy’ by the 59 judges who found him guilty of high treason.”
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians
(“Roundheads”) and Royalists (“Cavaliers”) in the Kingdom of England.
Despite Charles I being beheaded and his son being exiled, the monarchy was later restored.
The sale at Duke’s is on March 12.
Ed Baker
