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Auction: 3024 - The Slaney Collection of English Coins
Lot: 134

Charles II (1660-85), Pattern Crown, 29.82g., 1662, by John Roettier, long haired laureate bust facing right, with two tie ends and no drapery, carolvs.ii. dei.gratia, toothed border both sides, rev. inverted die axis, crowned cruciform shields, the English and French arms quartered appearing top and bottom, ten strings to Irish harp, garter star at centre, pair of interlinked C's in each angle, date either side of crown, .mag. br.fra. et.hib. rex., edge, inscribed in closely spaced raised letters of upright axis, decvs et tvtamen *+* all between toothed borders (ESC 68 R6; L&S 2), an area of digs in obverse field near chin, other tiny scattered marks in field, tiny rim nicks at bottom of reverse, toned, extremely fine and of the highest rarity thus Estimate £10,000-15,000 provenance Duke of Devonshire, Christie's, 26 March 1844, lot 284 J D Cuff, Sotheby, 8 June 1854, lot 1371 J B Bergne, Sotheby, 20 May 1873, lot 964 - incorrectly described as bust facing left W Brice, collection purchased en bloc by H Montagu 1887 H Montagu, Sotheby, 13 November 1896, lot 834 Purchased by C E G Mackerell, private transaction J G Murdoch, Sotheby, 8 June 1903, lot 637 Dr T Wakley, Sotheby, 6 December 1909, lot 155 Baldwin June 1933, private transaction H M Lingford, Glendining, 24 October 1950, lot 267 Bought for £82 This coin was first illustrated in the Wakley catalogue lot 155. Wakley purchased the coin out of Murdoch, but in Murdoch it was stated to be from the Wakeford collection 1888 lot 151. However, we have been unable to trace such a sale. The only other specimen is the Montagu specimen lot 834, which was purchased by Mackerell, but does not appear in his sale of 1906. Manville and Robertson noted that Mackerell sold some of his coins by private transaction and it is therefore quite possible that he sold this Crown privately to Murdoch. This suggestion is reinforced by the presence of the Montagu provenance in the Lingford catalogue which is otherwise unexplained. The only other specimen of this extremely rare Crown we can trace is the F R Cooper specimen sold at Glendining, 24 October 1973, lot 158 which was only described as being in fine condition. Therefore the specimen offered here is the finest known in private hands. This is the first time in over fifty years that both this piece and the 1663 Petition Crown of Thomas Simon - the two competition pieces, have been available for sale together. See the Petition Crown, lot 136 following, for further detail on the famous "competition."

Sold for
£24,000