Charles I., 1625-1649.
Shillings.
Tower Mint: Type 1. King's head to left, crowned, ruff, collar, royal mantle, XII. behind the head. Rev.
Square plain shield, over a cross fleury; the harp is ornamented with a bird's head. CHRISTO AVSPICE
REGNO. MM. Lis. (510). Rud. xix. 7. Sn. ix. 5. MB. 3 var. Sometimes the shield has a plume over
it and no cross fleury, like type 1. b. CUFF.
Type 1, a. Bust in armour nearly concealed by the broad scarf fastened upon the shoulder; ruff round
neck, in other respects like type 1. MM. Negro's head. Rud. xix. 8. MB. Long cross. MB.
2. Castle. MB.
Type 1. b. Sometimes there is a plume over the shield, in which case there is not any appearance of a
cross. MM. Negro's head. MB. Long cross. MB. 2. Castle. Rud. xix. 9. MB.
Upright anchor. CUFF. Heart. (512). MB. The coins with this last mark are neater than
the others, and the harp in the shield is without the bird's head.
Type 2. a. Obverse nearly the same, but rather more armour visible. Rev. Oval shield garnished, C. R.
above, like the crown type 2. a. but without the cross. MM. Plume. (513). MB. 3. var. Rose.
MB. 3.
Type 2. b. Similar, but with plume over shield. MM. Plume. Rud. xix. 11. Sn. ix. 11. MB. Rose.
MB.
These shillings are larger than those without the Plume.
Type 3. Hair long, lovelock; armour without scarf, falling laced collar. Shield, oval, garnished, between
C. R. MM. Harp. (514). MB. 5. Portcullis. Rud. xix. 12. MB. 2. The head is smaller and is
confined within the legend; and it continues diminishing in size till about 1640, when the star MM. was
adopted.
Type 3. a. Similar obv. Shield oval, differently garnished, without C. R. like crown type 3. No inner
circle on either side. MM. Portcullis. Rud. F. 7. MB. Bell. MB. 2. Crown. MB. 2.
Ton. (516). MB. 3.
Type 3. b. Similar, with Plume over the shield. MM. Bell. Rud. xix. 13. MB. 2. Crown. MB.
Type 4. Similar bust; shield square, plain, over a cross fleury, within the inner circle, which is now
resumed. This does not correspond with any type of crown or half-crown. MM. Ton. MB. 4.
Anchor. Rud. xix. 10. MB. 7. Triangle. MB. 3. Star. MB. The head with this and
following MM. is better executed and has a broader crown (515); this head does occur with the
anchor, which MM. therefore probably continued to 1639 or 1640. MB. Triangle within circle.
MB. P within brackets. Rud. xx. 12. MB. R within brackets. MB. Eye: very neat
workmanship. MB. Sun. MB. Of this there are two very different heads, one neat like
that with the star MM., the other with rounder and coarser features. (517). Sceptre. Rud. xx. 13. Sn.
ix. 17. MB. 2. Coarse features, like the later of those with Sun. MM.
Briot. - Bust with long hair, lovelock, falling lace collar, armour, scarf fastened on the shoulder by a
rose. MM. Flower and B. CAROLVS D. G. MAGN BRITANN FRAN ET HIB REX. R. Square topped shield
over cross which extends to edge of coin. MM. B. Rud. xxi. 12. MB.
- Another without B on the reverse. Sn. x. 4.
- MM. Small lozenge and B. Rev. MM. doubtful. MB.
- MM. on both sides, Anchor. MB. The falling collar is plain with a broad lace boarder, no scarf;
cross on rev. confined within inner circle.
- MM. on both sides, Anchor and B. Type similar to last; both read MAG BRIT FR ET HIB. Rud. xxii. 8.
Sn. x. 8. MB. The falling collar was introduced into the mint in 1631 or 1632, and these pieces of
Briot with the large cross on reverse were probably struck about the same time. Those with the
smaller cross and anchor MM. were probably struck in 1638, when those peculiarities appeared upon
the usual mint money.
Aberystwith Shillings: Bust similar to type 3, plume before face. Shield oval garnished like crown, type
3, over it a plume, inner circle on both sides. MM. Book. (518). MB. Sometimes the obverse is
without inner circle. MB. Sometimes it is omitted on both sides, which gives the appearance of
a smaller shield. Rud. xx. 15. Sn. x. 31. On some pieces the head is much smaller than on others.
Bristol Shillings: - 1643. Bust, crowned, falling collar trimmed with lace of a stellate pattern, no plume
before face, XII. behind head. MM. Plume. Rev. Declaration type. date 1643. MM. BR in monogram.
Sn. xi. 25. Rud. Sup. v. 15. It is certainly by mistake that they give B. only as the MM. upon this coin
with the date of 1643.
- 1644. Similar to the preceding but dated 1644. (519). MB.
- Bust different from the preceding, lace not stellate, the termination of the hair round the head well
defined, and separate from the lovelock, no MM. Plume before the face. Rev. no. MM. but BR. under
the date. Rud. xxiv. 3. MB. 2.
- Similar, but rev. MM. BR. no letters under the date. Sn. xi. 27.
- Similar, but no plume before face. Rev. MM. indistinct. Under the date BR. Sn. xi. 28.
- 1645. Similar, plume before face. Rev. MM. BR. no letters under date. Sn. xi. 26. Rud. Sup. v. 16.
MB.
- Similar, but no plume before face. MB.
- Similar, no plume before face, no MM. on either side, BR. under date. Sn. xi. 29.
The legend of these Bristol pieces commences at the top of the coin.
Exeter Shillings: Bust after the same type as that of Bristol, but of rather inferior workmanship; there is
not any distinct boundary between the general mass of hair and the lovelock; they are all without a
plume before the face, and have all, on the obverse, MM. Rose, of peculiar form; all the obverses
appear to be from the same die. Rev. 1. Shield oval, garnished, like crown type 3. MM. Rose, no date.
MB.
2. Similar, but date 1644 at the end of legend on obverse. Rud. xxv. 6. Sn. xiii. 8. MB.
3. Similar, but MM. Rose in the middle of the date, 16 44. (520). MB.
4. Similar, but date 1645 at the end of legend on reverse. MB.
5. Rev. declaration type, no MM. date 1645, the legend commences at the side. Rud. Sup. v. 19. Sn.
xiii. 9. MB.
Oxford Shillings: 1642. Obv. after the model of type 3. MM. Plume. Rev. no MM. EXVRGAT &c. Sn. xi.
24. MB. 2.
1643. Similar; the plumes over the inscription, are in some specimens very large. MB. 2.
1644. OX. - Two lozenges at the end of the obv. legend. Rev. Plumes small, no MM. MB.
- Plumes larger, lozenges before and after the plumes and the date, and after the words of the
legend and inscription. Rev. MM. Lozenge between four pellets; same dies as No. 9, coin large. Sn. xi.
32. MB.
- Rev. Somewhat similar. MM. four lozenges. MB.
- Rev. MM. Two lozenges; lozenges before and after OX, date, and plumes, and in the legend, and
pellets between the words of the inscription. MB.
- Rev. with pellets, instead of lozenges, between the words of the legend as well as of the inscription.
MB. The Museum specimen is double struck, so that the date reads 1044. The obverses of the
above five coins are from the same die.
- Bust slightly different, lozenges between the words on both sides, the figures of the date curved.
BERGNE. Sn. xi. 30.
- Bust in figured armour, lion's head on shoulder piece, falling laced collar, scarf looped up in front, R.
for Rawlins on the truncation of the arm. Rev. A small quatrefoil for MM. and also before and after the
plumes; a lozenge between each word of the legend and after the date and OX, and two after some
words of the inscription.
- Bust in figured armour, lion's head on shoulder-piece, small plain collar, no scarf: MM. Plume. Rev.
Scroll border above and below inscription, coin very large 1 3/8 inch. diam. (522). Sn. xi. 31. rev. only.
MB.
- Bust to right, crowned, scarf looped up on the breast; armour with lion's head on shoulder, plain
deep collar, behind the head IIX: all within the inner circle. MM. Plume. Rev. Plain lines above and
below inscription, same dies as No. 2, 1 3/8 inch. diam. (523). MB. See sn. xi. 32.
- Bust similar to the preceding, but reaching below to the edge of the coin, and the scarf covering
the shoulder; behind the head XII. no inner circle or MM. Rev. Inscription within a compartment, with
one large plume over it, the date 1644 below, 1 1/8 diam. (524). MB.
If these two were current coins, they are the only ones of this reign which have the face turned in this
direction: if they were only patterns they have this peculiarity in common only with some other pieces
of this description.
All of the above have, on the obverse, MM. Plume; but no plume in front of the face. All the busts
except Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10, bear a strong resemblance to those of the Aberystwith mint; those of 1642 and
1643 less than those of 1644, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6, all of which have OX; and it will be observed that those
letters upon shillings only of the year 1644.
York Shillings: - Obv. after the model of type 3. MM. Lion. Rev. square shield over a cross fleury, like
Briot's No. 1; over the shield EBOR. Rud. xxi. 4. Sn. x. 13. MB. 2.
- Bust in plain armour, mantle, and plain falling collar, coarse work. Rev. similar to preceding. (526).
MB.
- Bust as No. 1. Shield oval, garnished like type 3. EBOR. underneath. Rud. xxi. 6. Sn. x. 14. MB.
- Bust similar, but lace of a different pattern; oval shield, different garniture, crowned, EBOR
underneath. (527). Rud. xxi. 5. Sn. x. 15.
- Similar, but with lion's skin garniture. MB. 2.
Charles I, Uncertain Half-Crowns |
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Charles I, Uncertain Shillings
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