Lot 290
Commonwealth (1649-1660). 1651. Silver 'Fine Work' Shilling.
Ancient, British & World Coins | C25006
Auction: 9 December 2025 10:00 GMT
Description
6.08g. Tower mint, im: sun/-. Dated 1651. (sun) Coat-of-arms within wreath, · THE · COMMONWEALTH · OF · ENGLAND ·. Rev, coats-of-arms bearing St. George's Cross and Irish harp, · GOD · WITH · VS · 1651 ·, ·XII· (mark of value) above. (ESC 983; North 2724; S.3217). Choice about as struck. Proof like fields, delightfully toned. A quintessential example of the Commonwealth fine work series. Very rare, seldom seen on the open market with an illustrious and sequential provenance dating back to the mid 19th century.
Footnote
From the Clearwater Collection. Ex. Martin Hughes Collection (Spink 139, 16 November 1999), lot 192; Seaby (23 April 1986), lot 170; Ex. M.A. Brigg Collection (Glendining, 23 May 1939), lot 406 Ex. C.A. Watters Collection (Glendining, 21 May 1917), lot 441 Ex. J.G. Murdoch Collection (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 8 June 1903), lot 404 Ex. Hyram Montagu Collection (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 8 November 1896), lot 690 Ex W. Brice Collection (purchased en bloc by Hyram Montagu, 1887) Ex J.B. Bergne Collection (Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, 20 May 1873), lot 861 Ex. W. Durrant Collection (Sotheby & Wilkinson, 19 April 1847), lot 731. Such fine work pieces were produced on two occasions in 1651 and 1656, presumably in direct competition to the efforts of Blondeau's new milled machinery, which threatened to put the hammered coin workers out of commission. Therefore our theory is the hammered workers produced these 'best effort' pieces to have compared to those produced on the milled presses. It would seem the work of these skilled craftsmen was more than adequate, as the advent of milled coinage did not commence on a permanent basis until after the Restoration of Charles II in 1662.
