GREAT BRITAIN. UNITED KINGDOM. Charles I, 1625-1649 Pound 1643. Declaration type. Oxford mint. CAROLVS : D : G : MAGNI : BRITANI : FRAN : ET : HIB : REX. Charles, holding reins with left hand and sword in right, on horseback left, trampling arms below; plume to right // EXVRGAT : DEVS : DISSIPENTVR : INIMICI ·:·:·, RELIG.PROT.LEG/ ANG.LIBER.PAR, in two lines between parallel lines; three Oxford plumes and XX (mark of value) above, 1643 below. 120,11g. Dav. 539; Seaby 2940.
Of the greatest rarity. RRRR. Well struck on a broad flan. Attractive very fine with nice toning
Provenance: The Horserider Collection of a Japanese Gentleman.
The 1643 silver Pound is the largest British hammered coin ever made weighing 120 grams and was made from donated silver plate from the colleges and silver mined at Aberystwyth. This large denomination, and its smaller companion denominations were used to pay the Army to boost morale, with certain denominations being given to the various ranks within the army hierarchy. Regular soldiers would have received a Halfcrown, their superiors a silver Crown, the next rank up a silver Half-Pound and finally the highest ranks of the army the silver Pound. The costs of war were huge and Charles let it be known that the pay for his army was greater than that of the Parliamentarians...
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