Great Britain 1644 unite Fr-259

Sincona sale 75, lot 117

Stack's Bowers 2025 ANA sale, lot 40383

The first specimen was lot 117 in Sincona sale 75 (Zürich, May 2022), where it sold for 19,000 CHF (about US$23,062 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted, "Grossbritannien | Königreich. Charles I. 1625-1649. Unite 1644, Oxford Mint. Declaration type. Dumpy bust breaking lower inner circle. Mintmark plume. Selten. NGC AU58. (Rare.)" Charles I, once he broke with Parliament, fled London and set up his headquarters at Oxford, where he struck silver and gold coinage 1642-46. Temporary mints at Bristol (Fr-261), Truro (Fr-263), Exeter (Fr-263a), Worcester (Fr-264) and Shrewsbury (Fr-265) all struck gold unites, all very rare today. The unites of Oxford, which Friedberg lumps into Fr-259, are divided in the SCWC into KM 229, 230, 252, 253, 254, 335, 336, 345 and 346. KM 335, shown here, has "·RELIG·PRO·" on the reverse while KM 336 has "·RELIG·PROT·". The second specimen was lot 40383 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $9,300. The catalog description^[2] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Unite (20 Shillings), 1644-OX. Oxford Mint; mm: Plume. Charles I. PCGS Genuine--Graffiti, AU Details. Obverse: Crowned and armored half-length portrait of Charles I to left, holding sword and palm branch, value XX in field, legend around; Reverse: Declaration inscription in three-line scroll below three plumes, date below, legend around. An exciting offering of this historic "Declaration" type from the English Civil War period. Well-struck for the issue with a brilliant portrayal of Charles on the obverse. The coin remains full of satiny luster throughout with enticing crimson accents around the reverse inscription. The noted graffiti is an inscription in fine script, possibly a name, to the left of the king's sword. Beyond this intriguing detail, the coin makes a remarkable exemplar of the type. From the Lucius S. Ruder Collection."

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 9.00 g, 0.917 fine gold, the first specimen 8.71 g, the second specimen 8.88 g.

Catalog reference: KM 335, Spink 2735A. Fr-259. The second specimen is S-2735; Fr-259; N-2389; KM-336.

Source:

• Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
• Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
• 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]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 75, SINCONA British Collection - Part 2, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022.
• ^[2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, August 2025 Global Showcase Auction, World & Ancient Coins, featuring The Richard August Collection and the Richard Margolis Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.

Link to:

• (1643-44) double crown, (P) mintmark, Tower mint
• (1643-44) unite, (P) mintmark, Tower mint
• 1643 unite, Oxford mint
• 1643 triple unite, Oxford mint
• (1644) "rose farthing", Oxford mint
• 1644 threepence, Exeter mint
• 1644 threepence, Oxford mint
• 1644 groat, Exeter mint
• 1644-OX 4 pence (groat), Oxford mint
• 1644 sixpence, Bristol mint
• 1644-OX shilling, Oxford mint
• (1644-45) shilling
• 1644-BR shilling, Bristol mint
• 1644-BR half crown, Bristol mint
• (1644-45) half crown, Exeter mint
• (1644-45) halfcrown, (R) mintmark, Tower mint
• (1644)-CHST half crown, Chester mint
• (1644-45) half crown, roses in legend, Worcester mint
• 1644 crown, Exeter mint
• 1644 "Rawlins’" crown, Oxford mint
• (1644-45) gold crown, (R) mintmark, Tower mint
• 1644 pound, Oxford mint
• (1644-45) unite, Tower mint
• 1644 triple unite
• Coins and currency dated 1644