Sovereign Rarities Ltd
Auction 7 21 Sep 2022
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VF30 | Commonwealth (1649-60), silver Pattern Shilling, 1651, by Blondeau, English shield within laurel and palm branch, legends in English language, initial mark sun, .THE. COMMONWEALTH. OF. ENGLAND., rev. English and Irish shields, value .XII. above, beaded circle, date at top, legend surrounding, .GOD. WITH. VS., edge milled, weight 5.88g (ESC 1002 R3; N.p.206 note; Bull 173 R3). Toned, has been graded by NGC as VF30.
NGC Certification 6321659-001.
These milled patterns are the first machine made pieces of the Commonwealth period along with the companion Halfcrowns of this date. They were made by the inventor of the machinery for the edge marking process Frenchman Peter Blondeau who ended up in a competition against the workers of the Corporation of Moneyers to see who could produce the best quality pieces for a certain quantity in a certain time. The workers of the corporation reigned supreme with their hammered coinage in 1651 rendering these patterns as an enigma of that event.
The Commonwealth coins were the first in the British series to carry English language legends.
Estimate: £2,000-3,000
NGC Certification 6321659-001.
These milled patterns are the first machine made pieces of the Commonwealth period along with the companion Halfcrowns of this date. They were made by the inventor of the machinery for the edge marking process Frenchman Peter Blondeau who ended up in a competition against the workers of the Corporation of Moneyers to see who could produce the best quality pieces for a certain quantity in a certain time. The workers of the corporation reigned supreme with their hammered coinage in 1651 rendering these patterns as an enigma of that event.
The Commonwealth coins were the first in the British series to carry English language legends.
Estimate: £2,000-3,000