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-9043:
1642 Robert Deveraux English Civil War Silver-Gilt Military Reward
Medal. 3rd Earl of
Provenance:
ex Christopher Foley Collection, dispersed 2014
Commonwealth
(Hammered)
Full Crowns
WCom-7797:
1653 Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Full Crown. Initial mark Sun, S.R.
3215. Cromwell was adamant he
wasn’t going to be “kinglike” so his portrait was absent on all hammered
coinage (we’ll gloss over what happened with the new milled coinage of 1656 and
1658!) which made for a very different looking kind of currency. Points of interest are:
1.
The reverse V in VS is very much a recycled, inverted (upside own)
letter A. An
accidental oversight? Just time
& effort saving? Or
a die sinker’s identification marker?
There’s a Ph.D to be had there!!
2.
There are a total of three obverse letter Os in OF, one atop the other,
indicating that this coin had been struck at least three times. It’s a nice indication as to how these things
were made – this was a lot of cold silver to get the die impression onto. I’d have thought that four strikes, each time
rotating the die and planchet around by 90 degrees, hoping to not get a double
/ triple strike, would be a minimum.
Maybe this employee was very good at what he did, or perhaps he really
did hit the coin four times and we just can’t see the fourth time? Many of you will be aware of the bevelled
appearance seen particularly on Charles 1st halfcrowns, which again
is an indication of this multi rotational strike process.
The inverted A in VS rates at R3 (“extremely rare”) in Spink’s ESC – remember that when you look in the standard S.R. price guide, everything is priced to the
commonest possible variety. Being of
close to full weight, this is a nice grade, unadulterated, honest example of
the highest silver Commonwealth denomination.
The toning is steely grey with hints of lustre, although I have to admit
to metaphorically murdering this coin in my woeful photographic representation
– this one is perhaps
more illustrative. Commonwealth
coinage was primarily London-centric with the Shires using whatever they could
get their hands on, not that there was much wealth evident outside of
Halfrowns
WCom-8153:
1655 Commonwealth
Hammered Silver Halfcrown. Initial mark Sun, S.R. 3215. A contemporary counterfeit of the day from
very good quality dies (this would pass as legitimate to most people then and
now) and remarkably good weight. The
lettering is good, albeit irregularly positioned in places, as is the initial
mark. The cross hatching on the shield
is flat but they at least had a go - this was hard even for the official die
sinkers to get right (it was one of the main reasons why 1650 didn't happen for
silver coinage). 1655 is an incredibly
rare year for all denomination but particularly halfcrowns. There are about as many
extant examples of this coin than I have fingers (and I don't include
the thumb) on my left hand. They really
are that rare. Obviously this is a
contemporary counterfeit, albeit one from high execution dies with what looks
like decent silver. It was and still is
standard practice for counterfeiters to copy common coinage in order that their
spurious coinage is swamped by it all - in this scenario, not seeing the single
tree for the wood surrounding it. And
yet they chose this date? Stranger still
when you learn that the dies were modelled on the late 1651 coinage! Outstanding provenance, being part of the
famous Blackfriars' 1997 hoard of Commonwealth and some earlier (Edward VI
onwards) coinage - 1,582 coins, all found together on the
Provenance:
ex Blackfriars' Hoard (1997)
ex
ex Haddenham collection
ex Spink
Shillings
WCom-8154:
1649 Commonwealth
Hammered Silver Shilling. Initial mark Sun, S.R. 3217. The very first date in the
Provenance:
ex Haddenham collection
ex Spink
WCom-7216: 1651 Hammered Silver
Commonwealth Shilling. Initial mark Sun, S.R.
3217. A slightly better date and
the rarer “no obverse stops” variety – see the excellent Sun & Anchor
website (http://www.SunandAnchor.com) for
a full list of varieties. When looking
at S.R. for a price guide (and it’s
very much a guide), their pricing is for commonest, non variety
coins. £725
WCom-8155:
1652 Commonwealth
Hammered Silver Shilling. Initial mark Sun, S.R. 3217. Rarer no stop after THE on the obverse. 1652 is not a rare year but the output in
this year is but a fraction of the output in 1653 and 1656. Very nice grade although the old,
straightened bend has left its mark.
£395
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 RESERVED (W.B.10-3-25
Lay-Away)
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. (S.R. don’t bother listing any variations), full of flan and nice grade. £895
WCom-8156:
1656 over 4 Commonwealth
Hammered Silver Shilling. Initial mark Sun, S.R. 3217. A common enough year, although this is the
1656 over 1654 overdate variety. This
coin, weighing in at a very impressive (almost full weight) 5.85g is all about
grade. Commonwealth coinage, especially
the stuff in mainstream circulation between the 1650's and 1696 - halfcrowns,
shillings, sixpences and pence, were well used and as most Commonwealth coinage
was London-centric, it got REALLY well used, to the point where what you mainly
see today are very worn, often problematic and simply not very nice coins. Whilst there are better grade extant examples
out there, you 're unlikely to be able to buy them
unless you get lucky and have deep pockets.
I'm a keen buyer of grade Commonwealth and I don't think I've ever had a
better grade 1656 shilling. Not choice
but a jolly good coin never-the-less.
£895
Provenance:
ex Michael Trenerry (2023)
WCom-9056: 1656 Commonwealth
Hammered Silver Shilling. Initial mark Sun, S.R.
3217. Both the obverse and
reverse W letters look to be made from adapted letter Vs. There is clearly some double striking - the
reverse lettering was originally a good character space to the left of where it
is now. What really intrigues me is the
date. It came to me as a 1656 over 1655
but it clearly isn't that. It's a plain
6 over 6 due to the double strike but if you actually look at what we have, it
defies explanation; at least I can't explain it. The 6 on the left is the original 6 and is
also in the correct position. However,
the second 6 to the right, being clearly struck over the left 6, is the one
they wanted at the mint. The circle of
that second 6 is missing, seemingly stopped dead in its tracks at the boundary
of the first 6's imprint. This is where
the idea it was a 6/5 originated from.
Further, the second 6 comes with some beading on the lower portion of
the circle but that attached beading curves in the wrong direction; outwards
rather than inwards to make a circle. Makes no sense! A most interesting coin. £435
Sixpences
WCom-7610:
1652 Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence. A most interesting coin
being 1652 over 1651, over 1649 in date.
S.R. 3219.
Further, the 6 of the date appears to be a large 6 over a reversed
smaller 6, which I believe is unrecorded.
Further still, the right hand stop at the initial mark Sun is a small
pellet over a large pellet. The detailed
accompanying ticket, whilst mentioning none of this, does draw attention to the
D of ENGLAND being re-entered and off to one side. This at first glance appears to be simply
double striking but it’s actually not - if you look closely, the bottom D has a
bottom right curving serif whilst the uppermost D has a corresponding angular
serif. They are very different letter
D’s. Again, unrecorded
to my knowledge. 1652 is the year
where many more shillings and halfcrowns were issued compared to sixpences. The coin itself has been bent twice in
antiquity, as so many were (often done with the teeth to gauge silver content),
and subsequently straightened out. Attractively toned both sides. As I initially said, a most
interesting coin, not to mention grade.
£765
WCom-5912: 1654 over 3 Commonwealth
Hammered Silver Sixpence. Relatively full of flan – minimal clipping with an unusually clear
date. S.R. 3219.
1654 is
a rarer date and in a somewhat exclusive “less than 100 extant examples known”
club. Better still, this is the rarer 4
over 3 variety which E.S.C. rates at R2, around 32
known examples. 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. £545 RESERVED (M.He
WCom-7928:
1656 over 52
Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence - a most unusual coin! Initial mark Sun so struck
under the Protectorship of Oliver Cromwell – later
Anchor coins were under his son, Richard Cromwell. S.R. 3219. A 1656 sixpence but with only x6 harp
strings, which simply can't be. There is
a 1656 variety with x8 harp strings but definitely not x6. The answer is that this is actually a 1653
(or earlier) reverse that has been dug out of the used die bucket and
purposefully altered (ie a Cromwellian form of
recycling!) in date to become 1656.
Looking at the date itself, there are very odd things going off with the
"5" (there are two DIFFERENT "5" punches, one overstruck on
the other, and possibly a third, although that third one may be simply down to
double striking). Also,
the second "6" looks to be a thin "6" over a fatter
"6". The final
"6" in the date has some residual evidence at the top of its ascender
indicating the top diagonal of the original number, either a "2" or a
"3". The excellent http://www.SunandAnchor.com kindly looked at this coin and offered
1652 as a reverse die (has to be pre 53 due to harp strings and reverse shields
conform to 52) and 1652 on the obverse (can't be 51 due to large initial mark
and COMMONWEALTH is typical of 52). So
here we have just what I promised in the title - a nice, presentable 1656
Commonwealth sixpence that is actually from 1652 dies and even more unusually,
when they randomly dug their hand into the bucket full of old, discarded dies,
they actually pulled out same date old dies! Many thanks again to http://www.SunandAnchor.com.
I know most of you will be familiar with this site but if not, please do
pay them a visit. A
very nice example from one of the most interesting periods in British history,
not to mention the fact that this is an unrecorded 1656/2 coin. £695 RESERVED (M.He.3-12-23)
Halfgroats
WCom-7556:
Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfgroat. 1649 – 60.
No legend other than mark of denomination, which I think was the first
and last time this had happened on a halfgroat? S.R. 3221. Very good grade for issue. £185
WCom-7594: 1649-60 Oliver Cromwell’s
Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfgroat.
An issue actually spanning not just Oliver Cromwell’s
stewardship but also that of his son, Richard Cromwell. S.R. 3221. Very good grade for issue. £185
WCom-7623:
Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Twopence. Struck 1649-60. A centrally struck,
problem-free attractive coin being much above average. S.R. 3221. A very nice coin from a
somewhat interesting period of British history. £145
WCom-7929:
1649-60
Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfgroat.
A centrally struck, problem-free attractive coin being
much above average. S.R. 3221. A very nice coin from a somewhat interesting period of British
history. £165
Pennies
WCom-7351:
Oliver Cromwell’s
Commonwealth Hammered Silver Penny. Struck 1649-60 so of course, this could well be a later Richard
Cromwell piece. A centrally struck, problem-free attractive coin being much above
average. S.R.
3222. Ex Dr E. Birstall collection (sold with his ticket and paper
envelope). A very nice
coin from a somewhat interesting period of British history. £165
WCom-7622:
Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Penny. Struck 1649-60. A centrally struck,
problem-free attractive coin being much above average. S.R. 3222. Ex
Shaun Aldom collection. A very nice coin from a
somewhat interesting period of British history. £175
Halfpennies
WCom-7595:
1649-60 Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfpenny. An issue actually spanning
not just Oliver Cromwell’s stewardship but also that of his son, Richard
Cromwell. S.R.
3223. The rarest of the pence
issues by some margin. £195
WCom-8069:
1649-60 Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfpenny. An issue actually spanning
not just Oliver Cromwell’s stewardship but also that of his son, Richard
Cromwell. S.R.
3223. S.R. consider this
denomination a little commoner than the Commonwealth penny (which is
ridiculous) and a little more commoner still than the
Commonwealth halfgroat (bordering on the outrageous). In the real world, the halfpenny is the
rarest of the pence issues and by some margin.
A tiny coin that could easily have been lost but
literally was what an actual halfpenny was equivalent to in silver bullion back
in the day, so that dictated the size of the coin. Small though this is, it is not the smallest
hammered coin ever to hit the streets of
WCom-7930:
1649-60 Oliver
Cromwell’s Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfpenny. An issue actually spanning
not just Oliver Cromwell’s stewardship but also that of his son, Richard
Cromwell. S.R.
3223. S.R. consider this
denomination a little commoner than the Commonwealth penny (which is
ridiculous) and a little more commoner still than the
Commonwealth halfgroat (bordering on the outrageous). In the real world, the halfpenny is the
rarest of the pence issues and by some margin.
A tiny coin that could easily have been lost but
literally was what an actual halfpenny was equivalent to in silver bullion back
in the day, so that dictated the size of the coin. Small though this is, it is not the smallest
hammered coin ever to hit the streets of
