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Auction: 23004 - Ancient and British Coins - Featuring the 'White Rose' Collection
Lot: 520

Commonwealth (1649-1660), Unite, 1649 over 6 [?], Tower, • THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND • English shield within palm and laurel wreath of fifteen leaves, rev. • 1649 • GOD • WITH • VS, conjoined shields of England and Ireland, • XX • above, 8.97g [138.4grns], m.m. sun [on obverse only] (Schneider II, 339; Tisbury -; EGC 2 [R3]; North 2715; Spink 3208), lamentably heavily-double struck on a largely regular but split flan, occasional die flawing radiating from centres, the surfaces pleasingly original with underlying hints of toning and lustre, the date handsomely crisp, the overdate irrefutable, thus a solid type coin of this prohibitively scarce year, ever more sought after as the first issue of the Commonwealth, very rare

The overdate puncheon is curious and entirely reminiscent of the overdate used in the production of Olivier Cromwell's famous milled crown in 1657/58. It is possible that the 9 is indeed punched over an inverted or erroneously punched 6. However it could be an indication that die preparation for the coinage occurred almost immediately after the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1649 [OS], which would of course permit some 6-7 weeks of die engraving before Lady day [25 March] when 1648 lapsed into 1649 proper.

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Sold for
£4,000

Starting price
£3000