Great Britain: Oliver Cromwell gold Proof Pattern Broad of 20 Shillings 1656 AU58 NGC,...
Description
Iconic Broad of Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell gold Proof Pattern Broad of 20 Shillings 1656
AU58 NGC, KM-Pn25, S-3225, W&R-39 (R2), EGC-75. Reeded
edge. By Thomas Simon. Coinage from the Commonwealth period
continues to attract collectors because of its connection to the
tumult that plagued the island nation. Cromwellian coins offer
history lovers a tactile way to study and remember this history
while also serving as artistic and technological repositories of
the period. This specimen stands out for its crisply rendered
devices and patina that still glistens with golden luster. The
essentially full definition of the portrait hosts the textured
stippling characteristic to the type. Although some gentle wisping
prevents a Mint State designation, this piece is no less beautiful
than the handful of uncirculated pieces that we have had the
privilege of handling.After the English Civil War terminated in 1649 with the execution of King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the anti-monarchist Parliamentarians, became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. Seven years later, through the combination Thomas Simon's masterful engraving and the engineering know-how of Pierre Blondeau, the Cromwell portrait series was created. A step towards hypocritically representing Cromwell as King, this milled coinage featured the Lord Protector wearing a laureate wreath and the reverse shield featuring a crown, its overall quality a significant improvement over previous issues. Produced entirely in Blondeau's own private Drury House (as the Tower Mint moneyers loathed Blondeau and refused to let him work alongside them), the coinage was designed as a statement of Cromwell's power and to serve as an example of the dramatic improvements in coin production under the Commonwealth.
From the Naim Margulis Collection of British Coinage
Metal: Gold
Diameter: 29mm
More information about Great Britain Coins. See also: Great Britain World Coin Nationality.
Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000.
View all of [The Naim Margulis Collection of British Coinage ]
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Signature® Floor Session - The Naim Margulis Collection of British Coinage (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 32001-32202) - 2:00 PM Central Time, Monday, January 12, 2026 (3:00 PM Eastern Time).
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Additional Location Info:
InterContinental New York Barclay
111 East 48th Street
New York, NY 10017
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