Oliver Cromwell

"The Commonwealth" (1649 - 60)

 

You may find this comprehensive information website useful:  http://www.SunandAnchor.com

 

 

 

Oliver Cromwell (Milled) Read about Oliver Cromwell

 

WCom-5932:  1642 English Civil War Silver Medal.  A military reward from the 3rd Earl of Essex, Robert Devereaux (Oliver Cromwell’s Captain-General and Commander-in-Chief of the Parliamentary army) to an actual soldier in the Cromwellian army.  Silver, cast & chased, 30x22mm.  Listed in Medallic Illustration (M.I.298/117, pt. 1) as Rare.  See here.  The Civil War was a particularly unpleasant period in British history.  Tensions were extremely high between not just the Charles 1st and the Cromwell combatants, but in fact every citizen of the land.  Loyalty to either the Parliamentarians or the Royalists ran deep, suspicion was everywhere and normal, everyday people were actually scared (with good reason) to show loyalty in case the other person was in the opposite camp.  This medal is a tangible link with the Civil War, being not just a generic propaganda or supporters’ medal, but an actual medal given by the 3rd Earl of Essex, Robert Devereaux, with Cromwell’s blessing, to a real soldier who fought in the campaign.  £995

 

WCom-5686:  1658 Oliver Cromwell Milled Silver Halfcrown.  Rare Dutch copy, late 1600’s to very early 1700’s, cast from the Simon dies.  The coin is unusual in two aspects:  Firstly, the amount of wear indicates the coin was passed into circulation.  These Dutch copies were intended to supply collectors with Cromwell coins rather than be used as currency.  Very few coins were available at this time due to the unpopularity of Cromwell after the Restoration.  It is recorded that of the small number of coins that were not recalled by the mint, many were deliberately defaced.  Interestingly, I have never seen such a defaced Cromwell coin, in the same way that I have never seen a contemporary counterfeit Henry 1st penny (BMC 6-14), although the mint at the time obviously thought it was a problem because they officially cut every coin leaving the mint to show the public the coin was silver.  Being cast after the Protectorate, the Cromwell halfcrown would not have circulated in the UK so presumably passed into European circulation, being just a lump of silver in that market place.  Secondly, and more interestingly, this coin is 11.98 grams.  It is also a smaller flan by a mm or so.  As a cast silver coin, it is difficult to understand how you could create a smaller, lighter coin from the original.  The nature of casting dictates like for like.  Double shillings or Florins were issued in this later Dutch / Tanner period.  Although they are recorded as being double thickness shillings, it is extremely interesting to note that the weight of these florins was 12g, exactly the same weight as this coin.  Further research required on this intriguing coin.  £995

 

 

 

 

 

Commonwealth (Hammered)

 

Half Crowns

 

WCom-5815:  1653 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfcrown.  Clear date, full flan and unusual in that the reverse is clearly 1653 (it is in fact one of the last dies used in 1653) but the obverse is actually a 1652 die.  £535

 

WCom-6496:  1654 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfcrown.  High grade and good weight (14.51) so more an irregular flan than excessive clipping, although there has been a degree of clipping as 15g was the standard.  An interesting coin in that the obverse is an earlier 1653 die and the 5 in the reverse date looks to be over a 4, although this is definitely not a modified 1649 die.  Of the many variations of 1654 halfcrowns listed on Sun&Anchor, this appears to be a new, unlisted variety.  £1,295

 

 

 

Shillings

 

WCom-6439:  1651 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Shilling.  A straight 51 obverse and reverse but no stop before THE making this the rare E.S.C 984.  £725

 

WCom-6440:  1652 over 1 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Shilling.  A 1651 obverse with a 1651 altered date (51 to 52) reverse.  Also no stop after GOD making this an unlisted and unrecorded variety (see www.sunandanchor.com).  £785

 

WCom-6199:  1653 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Shilling.  Clear date, decent grade and unusually, a straight ’53 obverse with a ’53 reverse and no overdate.  £495

 

WCom-6362:  1653 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Shilling.  Clear date, decent grade.  Unusual double striking and the O in COMMONWEALTH looks altogether too small.  £395

 

WCom-6403:  1653 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Shilling.  Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth, initial mark Sun, 5.42g.  The obverse reads: COMMONWEATH [L missing] and there is no stop after THE.  The ticket states this is the recorded COMMONWEALH [T missing] variety which is E.S.C.989 (I’m told E.S.C. 130 in the revised edition?), rated at R4 rarity which means 11-20 known examples.  This coin is actually an E.S.C. unrecorded “missing L” variety.  If you look at the definitive guide to Commonwealth coinage (http://www.SunandAnchor.com), you will see both varieties listed and both having six star rarity values.  The COMMONWEATH die (this coin) also has the missing stop after THE whereas the missing T variety doesn’t.  A great rarity in the Commonwealth series being unrecorded in E.S.C. (Spink don’t bother listing any variations), full of flan and nice grade.  £895

 

WCom-6423:  1656 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Shilling.  Clear date, decent grade and the rarer variety with no stops at the initial mark (sun).  E.S.C 995b where it’s listed as Rare.  £395

 

 

 

Sixpencess

 

WCom-6328:  1651 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence – Rarer Variety.  Full of flan with a very clear date.  No stops at the initial mark (sun) – see SunandAnchor.com.  Spink 3219 var.  £445

 

WCom-6483:  1651 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence – Rarer Variety.  Full of flan with a very clear date.  No stops after COMMONWEALTH indicating this is an earlier, 1650 obverse.  Spink 3219 var.  Ex Spink (see here).  The 1650 obverse was problematic so effort was put into the 51 obverse in terms of improvements.  This is a rare die combination.  £595

 

WCom-5912:  1654 over 3 Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Relatively full of flan – minimal clipping with an unusually clear date.  This is the rarer 4 over 3 variety which E.S.C. rates at R2.  The coin has slight creasing probably due to the practise of biting the coin to see if it was genuine silver in the 1650’s.  Some toning.  £495

 

 

 

Pennies

 

WCom-5609:  Commonwealth Hammered Silver Penny.  1649-60.  Rarer denomination compared to the Half Groats.  Very nice grade.  £89

 

WCom-5817:  Commonwealth Hammered Silver Penny.  1649-60.  Rarer denomination compared to the Half Groats.  Very nice grade.  £89