Another item crossed off my want list

EVillageProwler

I am pleased to announce that I finally got a Pontefract Shilling that satisfies each of my criteria, which are:

• eye appealing
• has full enough detail to legend and devices
• no cuts, unsightly bruising or unsightly staining
• reasonably priced for my budget
• pre-execution (not in the name of the son)
• modestly circulated (I feel this coin should not look like a modern BM repro!)

Since I have not yet received the coin, I am using the image from the coin's last auction appearance.

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GREAT BRITAIN, House of Stuart. Siege coinage (Pontefract).

1648-1649. AR Shilling (28mm, 6.50g, 12h). Type 2. Dated 1648. DVM : SPIRO : SPERO, large crown above C • R / Castle gateway with flag; OBS to left; to right, XII between P C; I648 below. Hird 276-8 (same dies); SCBI 33 (Brooker), 1233 (same dies); North 2647; SCBC 3149. VF, toned, some weakness of strike.

Ex North Yorkshire Moors Collection, DNW 168 (29 January 2020), lot 944.
Ex Sotheby Auction, 24 June 1970, lot 80.

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DUM SPIRO SPERO translates to "While I breathe, I hope" from Latin.

And for those not familiar with this bit of history, here is a brief overview:

The English Civil War (1642-1651) was actually a series of three civil wars. The first (1642-1646) and second (1648-1649) was fought between the supporters of King Charles I and the supporters of Parliament (English and Scottish). The third was fought between the supporters of Charles II (the son) and the supporters of Parliament.

After a series of defeats, Charles surrendered to a Scottish force in 1645, escaped, but was eventually re-captured and executed 30 January 1649.

Pontefract Castle was a royalist stronghold in West Yorkshire, which is in the north of England. At the outbreak of the civil war, Charles re-established his capital in York while Parliament controlled London.

After the execution of Charles I, the garrison at Pontefract Castle continued to fight in support of Charles’ son (which would eventually become Charles II in 1660). The garrison at Pontefract also issued siege coins in the name of the son.

These siege issues were shaped as lozenges (as this), or octagonal, or round.

On the reserve, left of the castle, is OBS (obsidional or Latin obsidium), which means siege.

Timbuk3

Nice, congratulations !!!

Exbrit

Nice history summary and very nice example. How long have you been searching for an example that met all of your requirements?

Boosibri

Congrats! It feels great to find one of the pieces you have been on the hunt for.

Becky7474

Stella

Neat story and a cool piece! Thank you for showing us.

Bob13

Great piece of history!

bidask

Way to go !

EVillageProwler

Thanks for all the nice comments.

@Exbrit said:
Nice history summary and very nice example. How long have you been searching for an example that met all of your requirements?

These aren't that rare, but they are that combination of scarcity and desirable that they are not cheap by the standards of our hobby. So, not only do I have to wait for a nice eye appealing piece at my target grade level, it also has to be at the right time when I can afford it. So, if I had to guess how long my search has been, I'd say maybe 7 or 8 years.

I now have six coins remaining on my Want List: one Anglo-Saxon, one British, and four German States. (The four German States ones are much more affordable than the other two.) After that, it'll all be opportunistic acquisitions.

The one Anglo-Saxon one will complete a semi-difficult run; the British one will complete a mini-set of four; one of the four German States ones will complete a silver denomination run of a single type; and the other three will complete a mini-set of six.

And, as I complete each, I will announce it here! So, wish me luck.

EVP

trueblood

That is so cool, what an eye appealing specimen.