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Auction: 21007 - British and World Coins Autumn Auction
Lot: 155

Charles I (1625-1649), 'High Relief' Pattern Broad of 20-Shillings, 1625, after Abraham Vanderdoort [?] by the Royal Mint, bare draped bust left, with falling lace collar, no mark of value, rev. crowned garnished shield dividing crowned cypher, edge plain, 9.89g, 12h (Allen [1941] vi; Lockett 4136 = Brooker 1239 same dies), a delightfully broad striking, richly toned with only partial softness to highest points, a majestic example of the King's personally-approved portrait canon, a pleasing very fine with hints of brilliance in reverse field, extremely rare, no more than ten thought extant, four of which are in Museums, with those typically encountered in commerce being the more undesirable cast and chased copies

provenance
Baldwin 'Family Collection', acquired privately, April 1974 - £2,500


Alongside the remarkable Plume issue offered as part of the Horace Hird collection, the presentation of two of the six known varieties of High Relief issues as documented by Allen (1941) at the same house at the same time was last achieved at the Lockett dispersal in October 1956, underscoring both the exclusivity and remarkability of these enchanting and enigmatic patterns. Through their numismatic 'second lives', they have been variously attributed to be the work of Thomas Rawlins, Abraham Vanderdoort, Nicholas Briot and even Edward Greene, with the second being most favoured on account of Mint accounts written in November and January 1625 expressing the workers concern over the ability to replicate His Majesty's likeness on a currency coin of Vanderdoort's pattern, but could reasonably facilitate the production of a few curiosities as and when time permitted. In any case this depiction was one that met with Charles I's personal approval and sadly only for logistical reasons was it not brought to bear on business strikings in his subject's pockets. Evidently however it served as a canon for the Group B and C issues over which some of Allen's later varieties share mintmarks. The series culminates in the magnificent Bishop Juxon Pattern Five-Unite, that Spink bought for the nation in February 1897 for a then World Record £770.0.0.

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Sold for
£38,000

Starting price
£12500