Great Britain 1658 half crown
The first specimen was lot 1005 in Ponterio sale 158 (New York, January 2011), where it sold for $4,082.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. 1/2 Crown, 1658. Oliver Cromwell. Small scratch on obverse field, toned. ALMOST UNCIRCULATED." The second specimen was lot 20787 in Heritage sale 3021 (New York, January 2013), where it sold for $5,875. The catalog description[2] noted, "Cromwell Halfcrown 1658, MS62 NGC, boldly detailed and having reflective luster combined with rich old bluish gray patina showing golden iridescent highlights, just a little subtle change in metal texture on the highest points of the obverse, which are light gray in color. Seldom found this choice." The third specimen was lot 124 in Sincona sale 75 (Zürich, May 2022), where it sold for 260,000 CHF (about US$315,588 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[3] noted, "Grossbritannien | Königreich. Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, 1653-1658. Gold 1/2 crown 1658, London. Off-metal strike in gold from the silver 1/2 Crown. By Thomas Simon. Laureate and draped bust. Von grösster Seltenheit. Sechs bekannte Exemplare. NGC PF63 CAMEO. Prachtexemplar. (Of the highest rarity. Six known specimens, Cabinet piece.)" The dates 1656 and 1658 are recorded for the type, which is so rare as to be regarded as a pattern, particularly considering the exquisite diework and full strike on the specimen shown here, most untypical of English coins of the period. Earlier half crowns of the commonwealth (KM 391.1, struck 1649-56) are not nearly so well made.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 15.05 g, 0.925 fine silver, the third specimen 26.91 g in gold.
Catalog reference: S-3227A; KM-B207. third specimen KM PnF27, WR 46 (this coin).
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Rayner, P. Alan, and Maurice Bull, English Silver Coinage from 1649, 6th Ed., London: Spink & Son, 2015.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, and Kent Ponterio, Ponterio sale 158: The 2011 N.Y.I.N.C. Auction, Irvine: Bowers and Merena, 2010.
- [2]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3021, featuring the Cecil Webster, Richard P. Ariagno and Elizabeth McPhall Charters Collection, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2012.
- [3]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 75, SINCONA British Collection - Part 2, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022.
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