Charles I Halfcrown, Hartlebury Castle mint, mm pear/3 pears, plate coin

Charles I (1625-49), silver Halfcrown, undated, Hartlebury Castle Mint (Worcestershire c.1646), armoured King on horseback left, crowned holding upright sword, tip of sword and King's crown breaks inner circle, flowing scarf with two ends behind, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark pear, CAROLVS. D: G. MAG. BRIT. FRAN. ET. HIB. REX,rev. oval quartered shield of arms on decorated frame incorporating H and C to lower left and right, Latin legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark three pears, CHRISTO. REGNO. AVSPICE., weight 14.84g (Bull 679; Brooker 1137; N.2626; S.3129 - this coin illustrated).Toned a little uneven in shape, some scratched in field under belly of horse, metal flaw in legend to left, well struck for this extremely rare issue, good very fine, reverse about extremely fine, the plate coin in the Standard Catalogue of Coins of England and the United Kingdom.

The abbreviated obverse legend translates as "Charles, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland. The abbreviated reverse Declaration translates as "I reign under the auspices of Christ".

Hartlebury Castle was the traditional seat of the Bishops of Worcester having been first granted by King Burgred (852-874) in 855 to Bishop Aelhun, and remained a home for the succeeding Bishop right up until 2007. The house was fortified as a castle by Bishop Giffard in 1268 when he was given the relevant permission. During the time this halfcrown coin was struck c.1646 and throughout the Civil War period from 1642 Hartlebury Castle was held for King Charles I with a garrison of 120 men under Captain William Sandys. The Roundheads captured the castle on the 16^th May 1646 after a two day siege and without a shot being fired and the four century old fortifications were dismantled in 1648 though the buildings were not demolished as it was easier to sell on rather than going to further expense. The castle was restored to the Bishop in 1660 at the time of the Restoration of the Monarchy, and it was Bishop James Fleetwood in 1675 who restored the castle into a country mansion in much the style that it still is today. George III and George IV both visited with Bishop Hurd and Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1980 after the Royal Maundy service at Worcester Cathedral in 1980. For the last five decades the castle has housed the Worcestershire County Museum in one wing as well as the Hurd Library since 1782 from the time of Bishop Hurd. The Bishopric were prompted to sell the castle on the retirement of Bishop Henry Selby in 2007 and the Castle Trust was formed and had made the purchase by 2015.

Provenance:

Ex Reginald Huth, Sotheby, 4^th April 1927, lot 433.

Exhibited at "Coins, Crown and Conflict" the ANA, Colorado Springs USA, from 2007.

Ex Geoffrey Cope Collection, lot 1140 - this coin illustrated as the Hartlebury Castle plate in the Standard Catalogue of British Coins.

A similar example of the same sort of grade sold in the recent Frank Waley collection for £8,000 hammer.