Lot 1076
Lot 31076 > Charles I gold Triple Unite 1644 MS62+ NGC, Oxford mint, Plume mm, S-2729, N-2385, Brooker-841 (same dies). 27.00gm. Of utmost desirability and rarity, one of the finest extant examples of England's largest hammered gold coin produced in the early stages of the English Civil War of 1642-49. Highly sought after in any grade, the present piece represents the single second-from-highest graded example by NGC or PCGS, and combines this exalted preservation with undeniable medallic skill and fascinating numismatic history. Prior to the war, Charles's coinage was almost uniformly poorly-struck, irregular-flanned and as crude as the contemporary Spanish 'pieces of eight'. Certainly, some experiments into milled coinage were being undertaken by Nicholas Briot, but in general Charles's coinage represents a very weak era for the output of the Royal Mint. However - this all changed once Charles left London and hostilities gradually began to take shape. Whilst numerous cities and towns began to declare their loyalty for either Royalists or Parliament, both sides proceeded to mint their own coins so as not to lose grasp of circulating currency and thus risk a breakdown of order. Indeed, coinage underpinned civilization to such an extent that even besieged castles and strongholds resorted to creating their own coins from salvaged plate silver. Parliament's coins were largely similar to the pre-existing regal issue, crudely struck and irregular. Charles, meanwhile, decided that coins were a perfect means of spreading his message and demonstrating his value - and thus he went on to produce exceptionally fine, large-sized pieces of gold and silver bearing his 'Wellington Declaration', stating to his people and Parliament that despite all appearances he upheld "the Protestant religion, the laws of England and the Liberty of Parliament". Of all Charles's 'Declaration' coins, none are so impressive nor celebrated as the Triple Unite represented here in incredible Mint State. Many die varieties exist for this denomination, some rarer than others, but the present piece exhibits what is perhaps the most appealing and high-quality depiction of Charles; bearing a sword in his right hand and an olive branch in his left, the King holds both war and peace in his hands. Close inspection of the surfaces show a concerted effort for high-quality production, numerous die-polish lines yet no rust, evidence for a triple strike in the legends to fully render the intricately engraved devices. Deeply toned to a buttery aged-gold hue, faint sparkles of luster dancing under a mist of patina, every element of the strike crisp and presentable. The J. G. Brooker plate example of this same die pairing was offered in our August 2015 sale; graded AU58, that specimen realized $250,000. We are proud to host this far finer specimen, and do not doubt that is beauty, rarity and supreme quality will earn it a place in a world class collection of British gold.
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