North Yorkshire Moors Collection, Part IV: Coins and Medals

XII: Machine-made Coins of Charles II, Broad, 1662, by T. Simon, in gold, from the same dies as previous, edge plain, 8.85g/137.0gr/6h (Lessen, BNJ 1995, type G, and pl. 12, 16, this coin; SCBI Schneider 420; N 2780; S 3337A). Light traces of tooling to right of shield, otherwise about extremely fine with reddish toning, rare £5,000-£7,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The North Yorkshire Moors Collection of British Coins.

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Provenance: Christie’s Auction, 26 February 1991, lot 652; bt Dolphin Coins 1993.

This coin, and those in the next two lots, are currency production 20 shilling pieces made in March and April 1662. Surviving documentation shows that a gold mill coinage was ordered, that Simon made dies for the purpose, that bullion was supplied and that a few thousand coins were produced, halted only because of mechanical failures, which could have meant the fracturing of the dies. The design and legends match those of the currency hammered coinage. Four obverse and four reverse dies have been recorded from a search of sale catalogues and museum holdings, resulting in five distinct die pairings, two of which are known only from single coins. These five pairs may represent all that were used. All dies were formed from the same puncheons, with hair, wreath, ties, and minor crown and arms details added or modified. At least three of the eight dies exhibit cracks