Great Britain 1645 unite Fr-259

Stack's Bowers 2026 ANA sale, lot 41338

This specimen was lot 41338 in Stack's Bowers Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction (Pittsburgh, August 2026), where it sold for $12,200. The catalog description^[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Unite (20 Shillings), 1645. Oxford Mint; mm: Plume. Charles I. PCGS Genuine--Edge Repaired, AU Details. Obverse: Small crowned half-length portrait of Charles I to left with elbow not visible, holding sword and short olive branch, value XX in field, legend around; Reverse: Declaration inscription in three-line scroll below three plumes, date below, legend around. An EXTREMELY RARE variety featuring a short bust and small olive branch, and only the second example we are able to find in public auction records spanning the last 25 years. Though the edge exhibits filing as noted, the obverse and reverse are free of any major surface detractions and appear nearly Mint State, with only a touch of wear on the high points and ample original luster remaining. From the Charles “Cheech” Litman Collection." 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 (shown here), 254, 335, 336, 345 and 346.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 9 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 9.00 g.

Catalog reference: S-2738; N-2389; Fr-259; KM-253.

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]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2026.

Link to:

Great Britain 1645 unite Fr-259

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