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CSNS Signature Sale 3099  5-7 May 2022
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Lot 30223

Starting price: 20 000 USD
Price realized: 43 000 USD
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Great Britain
Oliver Cromwell gold Pattern Broad of 20 Shillings 1656 MS62 NGC, KM-Pn25, S-3225, W&R-39 (R2), EGC-75. 9.04gm. Reeded edge. By Thomas Simon. Visually delightful in hand, this well-preserved representative of a coveted and highly historical gold denomination leaves the viewer wanting nothing more. While the coin is technically designated as "MS," the offering shows all the characteristics of a Proof strike, lacking only the cameo effect that would warrant a corresponding designation. Needle-sharp clarity of detail is expressed throughout, with characteristic stippled texturing noted across Cromwell's bust and the inner shields of the reverse design, framed by crisp legends. The open expanses yield pure and unmitigated reflectivity, exhibiting only wispy hairline friction to prevent finer certification. Meanwhile, a compelling amber tone blankets the surfaces, elevating the allure of this treasured relic of English and, more broadly, numismatic history.

After the English Civil War terminated in 1649 with the execution of King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the anti-monarchist Parliamentarians, became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. Seven years later, through the combination Thomas Simon's masterful engraving and the engineering know-how of Pierre Blondeau, the Cromwell portrait series was created. A step towards hypocritically representing Cromwell as King, this milled coinage featured the Lord Protector wearing a laureate wreath and the reverse shield featuring a crown, its overall quality a significant improvement over previous issues. Produced entirely in Blondeau's own private Drury House (as the Tower Mint moneyers loathed Blondeau and refused to let him work alongside them), the coinage was designed as a statement of Cromwell's power and to serve as an example of the dramatic improvements in coin production under the Commonwealth.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-britain/great-britain-oliver-cromwell-gold-pattern-broad-of-20-shillings-1656-ms62-ngc-/a/3099-30223.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3099-05052022

HID02906262019

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Estimate: 40000-50000 USD
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