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Auction: 20124 - Spink Numismatic Circular 4 - Halfcrowns, Florins and Shillings
Lot: 1630

Charles I (1625-49), Contemporary Forgery Halfcrown, in the style of Type IV, York, struck in silvered base alloy, from false dies, 12.77g, 6h (Bull F18; Brooker 1080, same dies; Besly, pl. 8, no. 7, same dies; Adams 154; 'Daedalus' [Spink 267], 292-293, same dies; cf. N.2312; cf. S.2866), rubbed, fair to fine, an interesting historical curiosity

British Museum examples of this issue have previously been analysed at 55% and 44% silver fineness, and more intriguingly they also contain around 5% arsenic, a standard ingredient of counterfeiter's recipes of the time intended to whiten the alloy. Besly has categorically demonstrated that these pieces cannot be regular products of the York mint, but their presence in Civil War hoards (BNJ 1991, p.131), evidently shows that as counterfeits, they are both immensely skilful and most importantly contemporary to official issues.

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Estimate

Starting price
£60