Great Britain: Charles I gold Unite (20 Shillings) 1644 AU,...

Description

Boldly Struck Charles I Unite

Charles I gold Unite (20 Shillings) 1644 AU, Oxford mint, S-2734, Fr-259. A sharply struck example, with a majestic militant bust of the king displaying an extraordinary level of detail seldom seen in this impressive 'Declaration' type, which, like all royal issues of this period, was produced in great haste under wartime conditions. Accordingly, the king is shown bearing a sword in his right hand and a victorious laurel branch in his left. As a result of a bold strike that produced far less design doubling than is typical on the issue, seldom-seen features such as the central spine running up the king's sword blade, the joints of his armored gloves and the vertical polishing marks in the obverse fields are clearly and distinctly rendered. The denomination of 20 Shillings is notated as XX to his right, while the reverse depicts the 'Wellington Declaration' (that Charles would uphold "the Protestant Religion, the Laws of England, and the Liberty of Parliament") in three lines on a continuous scroll, with three plumes above and the date and Oxford mintmark below. A surface "wipe" is evident, with a few diagonal hairlines that do not significantly detract. In terms of detail and eye-appeal, certainly among the top examples we have encountered.
From the Northern California Collection. Ex Coin Galleries (12 July, 2000), lot 290.

More information about Great Britain Coins. See also: Great Britain World Coin Nationality.

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