Newark 1645 9 pence
This specimen was lot 42054 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2026), where it sold for $2,880. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Newark (besieged). 9 Pence, 1645. Charles I. PCGS EF-40. Variety with NEWARKE spelling. The SCARCER of the two spelling varieties of this lozenge-shaped Civil War emergency issue. Quite wholesome, the present example is problem free with some iridescence when cradled under light. From the John P. Burnham Collection. Ex: Coin Galleries (11/1986) Lot # 553." Charles' conflicts with Parliament erupted into open war in 1642. One of Parliament's first acts after Charles fled London was to seize the Tower Mint. In response, Charles opened branch mints to provide coin to pay his forces. Some of the mints were shortlived, as an army stopped for a few weeks to reequip but Oxford, Shrewsbury and Bristol operated for several years. In Newark, the besieged royalists also issued silver sixpence, shillings and half crowns. Altho these appear fairly regularly in auctions, high demand brings high prices.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 4.51 g, 0.925 fine silver, this specimen 4.62 g.
Catalog reference: S-3145; KM-369.2.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Korchnak, Lawrence C., Siege Coins of the World, 1453-1902, Lancaster, PA: Classical Numismatic Group, 2021.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2026 NYINC Showcase Auction, Ancient and World Coins, featuring the Kazmier Wysocki Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
Link to:
- Newark 1645 shilling siege coinage
- (1645-46) shilling, eye mintmark
- Newark 1645 1/2 crown
- 1645-BR half crown, Bristol mint
- (1645-46) half crown, sun mintmark
- (1645-46) silver crown, sun mintmark, Tower mint
- 1645 silver crown, Exeter mint
- (1645) unite, eye mintmark, Tower mint
- (1645-46) unite, sun mintmark, Tower mint
- Newark 1646 shilling
- Newark 1646 1/2 crown siege coinage
- Coins and currency dated 1645