A VERY rare coin minted in Hereford is set to fetch up to £8,000 when it goes to auction next week.
Dating from 1645, the unique silver Halfcrown from the Hereford Mint depicts King Charles I on horseback, while the reverse is unique among the silver coins of Charles I, showing an oval shield within a garter, supported by a lion and unicorn. The design was normally reserved for use only on the gold coinage.
Around two-dozen specimens are known to exist in private and public collections.
Auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb will also be taking bids on an extremely rare example of the so-called Welsh Marches Halfcrown, struck at an uncertain mint on the English-Welsh border in 1644, a year earlier that the Hereford example.
It shows a horseman on one side and on the reverse three plumes. About a dozen of these coins are listed in the standard reference book on the series.
It is expected to fetch between £4,000 and £5,000 on the day, while the Hereford coin is estimated at £6,000 to £8,000.
The two specimens are from a collection of English coins amassed by the late Dr John Hulett, and 80 coins from this particular collection will be in the auction.
Jim Brown, coin specialist at Dix Noonan Webb, said: “We are offering two of the classic rarities of Charles I’s coinage. Whether a student of the Civil War or a collector of provincial coins, this is a chance not to be missed. It may be some time before a similar opportunity comes along."
The online live auction will take place on May 6 at 11am on their website www.DNW.co.uk
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