Oxford Mint Silver Crown With a Superb Depiction of Charles I on Horseback

Charles I (1625-49), silver Crown of Five Shillings, dated 1642, Oxford Mint, Shrewsbury obverse, armoured King on horseback left, crowned holding sword, plain groundline, Shrewsbury plume in field behind, legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark pellet, .CAROLVS: D: G: MAG: BRIT. FRAN. ET. HIBER. REX, rev. Declaration in two lines at centre between ruled lines RELIG: PROT: LEG / ANG: LIBER: PAR, three Oxford plumes above, over value .V., date below, legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark two pellets, :EXVRGAT: DEVS: DISSIPENTVR: INIMICI, weight 30.24g (Brooker 869; Morrieson A-1; N.2405; S.2946). Toned, slightly double struck in parts, reverse with a few hairline marks and striations, otherwise almost extremely fine, with an excellent provenance and depiction of the King, rare.

This silver Crown was struck at the Oxford Mint where Charles I had moved his capital from London after the Battle of Edgehill, to the Royalist Universities of the City of Oxford, where he made a state entrance on 29th October 1642. The King lived at Christ Church, with the Queen installed at Merton; the Royalist Parliament met in the Upper Schools and Great Convocation House; the Privy Council at Oriel; and the Mint worked at New Inn Hall from the 3rd January 1642/3.

Provenance:
Ex Spink / Glendining, 27-28th November 1974, lot 597.
Ex U.B.S., Switzerland, 14-16th September 1999, lot 1521.
Ex E. D. J. Van Roekel collection, Spink Auction 156, 15th November 2001, lot 64.
Ex Dr Riccardo Ferrari collection, Spink Auction 189, 27th June 2007, lot 57.
Ex A. H. Baldwin, Auction 77, 27th September 2012, lot 2170.