Sovereign Rarities Ltd
Auction 2 24 Sep 2019
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City Under Siege, the Octagonal Pontefract Shilling of 1648
Charles I (1625-49), silver Pontefract siege Shilling of Twelve Pence, dated 1648, struck on an octagonal flan, crown above C.R at centre, legend and toothed border surrounding, DVM: SPIRO. SPERO, rev. Pontefract Castle gateway, date below, OBS vertically upward to left, hand holding sword to right, flag on central tower above, P to left, C to right, weight 5.36g (Brooker 1231; N.2646; S.3148). Toned, a little weak in parts, long hairline scratch on reverse, very fine for issue.
Pomfret Castle otherwise known as Pontefract in West Yorkshire was seized for the Crown on the 2nd June 1648 by a colonel John Morris or Maurice in the forces of Sir Marmaduke Langdale, who disguised as a peasant along with a few of his soldiers overcame the small garrison within and seized this key strategic point in the North. From then onward Pontefract resisted all attack by the Cromwellian forces and only surrendered on March 22nd 1649 some two months after Charles I had been executed.
During this period of time, three types of regnal titling of the Pontefract siege Shilling were issued, the first type like we have here in the name of Charles I whilst he was alive in 1648. The second type in the name of his son "Charles the Second" and the final type as "King Charles II after the death of his Father." There is also variation of the castle gateway and the shape of the shilling flans as the weights vary considerably. Flans can be round, lozenge shape or octagonal like we have herewith.
Provenance:
Ex Spink Coin Auction, 15th April 2004, lot 246.
Charles I (1625-49), silver Pontefract siege Shilling of Twelve Pence, dated 1648, struck on an octagonal flan, crown above C.R at centre, legend and toothed border surrounding, DVM: SPIRO. SPERO, rev. Pontefract Castle gateway, date below, OBS vertically upward to left, hand holding sword to right, flag on central tower above, P to left, C to right, weight 5.36g (Brooker 1231; N.2646; S.3148). Toned, a little weak in parts, long hairline scratch on reverse, very fine for issue.
Pomfret Castle otherwise known as Pontefract in West Yorkshire was seized for the Crown on the 2nd June 1648 by a colonel John Morris or Maurice in the forces of Sir Marmaduke Langdale, who disguised as a peasant along with a few of his soldiers overcame the small garrison within and seized this key strategic point in the North. From then onward Pontefract resisted all attack by the Cromwellian forces and only surrendered on March 22nd 1649 some two months after Charles I had been executed.
During this period of time, three types of regnal titling of the Pontefract siege Shilling were issued, the first type like we have here in the name of Charles I whilst he was alive in 1648. The second type in the name of his son "Charles the Second" and the final type as "King Charles II after the death of his Father." There is also variation of the castle gateway and the shape of the shilling flans as the weights vary considerably. Flans can be round, lozenge shape or octagonal like we have herewith.
Provenance:
Ex Spink Coin Auction, 15th April 2004, lot 246.