This week’s fresh listings:

 

This page is to be updated every Tuesday and will contain all the latest Coin, Medal & Token listings for that particular week.

 

 

Most sold coins are now accessible via a new link on the front (index) page category grid.

 

 

Additions to www.HistoryInCoins.com for weeks commencing Tuesday 6th October 2026

 

I recommend a visit the excellent Cromwell / Commonwealth coinage research website at www.SunandAnchor.com

 

 

WCom-9429:  1652 Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth Hammered Silver Crown.  Initial mark Sun, wide 2 in date, coarse beading, S.R.3214.  Whilst not the rarest date for crowns, 1652 is certainly much rarer than the prolific crown years of 1653 and 1656 - this courtesy of a couple of large silver bullion hauls captured from foreign ships upon the high seas.  1649, the very first year, was a modest and problematic issue.  No silver coinage was issued in 1650 whilst they sought to put right the difficulties they'd encountered with the sea-change in design from previous coinage (Cromwell was adamant he wasn’t going to be “kinglike” so his portrait was absent on all hammered coinage which made for a very different looking kind of currency), namely the cross hatching.  1651 was just as small an issue as 1649 with both those years having only a handful of extant examples today.  It is perhaps surprising that in view of the modest use of dies that the 1652 issue has, to my understanding at least, no 1652/1 overdates exist.  ESC states there is one but no example appears on the Sun & Anchor database.  You don't see old 1651 reverse crown dies recycled for any of the later dates either, although there is a recorded instance of a 1651 obverse die being used in a 1656 crown.  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 London during those austere years.  Everyday shire-currency was predominantly Charles 1st and earlier.  It is rare for metal detectors to unearth anything above a Commonwealth halfgroat but I’m fairly sure than there has never been a Commonwealth crown discovered in this fashion, just as there has never been such a coin discovered in a British hoard.  Attractive old cabinet toning, almost perfect weight of 29.97g, which you'd expect from such a good grade, problem-free coin.  The marks to the reverse were in-the-make planchet faults with the die being struck over them.  £4,950

 

WCom-9430:  1653 Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth Hammered Silver Halfcrown.  Initial mark Sun, small 6 in date, large II.vi, S.R.3215.  Not a rare year, thanks in large to the British taking possession of a large haul of silver bullion on the high seas, but a stand-out coin in that unlike the majority of 1653 halfcrown varieties, this is a straight 53 with no overdate.  This single feature elevates the rarity by some degree.  Attractive old cabinet toning - in places iridescent with electric-blues and golden hues.  A healthy 14.47g on a full flan.  A very nice coin.  £1,095

 

WCom-9431:  1653 Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth Hammered Silver Shilling.  Initial mark Sun, large 6 in date, S.R.3217.  Not a rare year, thanks in large to the British taking possession of a large haul of silver bullion on the high seas.  The large 6 in the date along with no other devices indicates that this is a very early issue in the year.  As this die came to the end of its life - and you can see the beginning of the end in the extant die break at 3 o'clock on the reverse - the mint began omitting stops, making digits wider, etc.  They also took to recycling old 1652 reverse dies.  A healthy 5.49g on a full flan.  £495

 

WCom-9432:  1653 Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Sun, small 3 in date variety, S.R.3219.  The small 3 was clearly a single punch to overstamp the original final digit that was on the die - this small 3 punch literally obliterated what was there before showing us that the mint employee was particularly enthused when he was tasked with that particular job.  There is the vestige of a serif or part of a digit to the right of the 3 but it's inconclusive.  Wonderful detail to the reverse cross hatching, even though this particular die was on its last legs - die breaks are evident in the first quarter.  A healthy 2.84g on a full flan.  A lovely little coin in superb grade for issue.  £765

Provenance:

ex Mark Mailard (2014 ticketed at £750)

 

WCom-9433:  1654/3 Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth Hammered Silver Sixpence.  Initial mark Sun, small 4 over small 3 in date variety.  S.R.3219, ESC R3.  A rarer year in terms of output from the mint - less that 100 extant example today, in all grades; much rarer still being 54/3.  There are very few die variations recorded for this year, indicating very few coins were struck.  S.R.3219.  The small 4 was clearly a single punch to overstamp the original small 3 that was on the die - this small 4 punch left a deep impression, showing us that the mint employee was particularly enthused when he was tasked with that particular job.  The reverse W on COMMONWEALTH is small, reinforcing the attribution, as does the inclusion of the distinctive 5 in the date, of it being from an original 1653 reverse die.  Some original red wax residue on the obverse indicating that this coin has had an impression taken in antiquity for inclusion as an illustration in a reference work, most likely an old B.N.J. article.  Excellent cross hatching detail on a really quite rare coin - in fact ESC state that R2 is Very Rare with only 32 extant examples, in all grades.  A healthy 2.92g on a full flan.  This is a pleasing coin with attractive toning.  £865

Provenance:

ex A. Mint collection