Scarce Oxford Mint Unite of King Charles I Dated 1643

Charles I (1625-49), gold Unite of Twenty Shillings, 1643, Oxford Mint, crowned armoured half-length figure of King left, holding upright sword and palm branch, value XX in field behind, legend and beaded borders surrounding, initial mark Oxford plumes, CAROLVS. D: G. MAG: BR: FR: ET. HIBER: REX, rev. abbreviated Declaration inscription on three line scroll at centre, RELIG: PROT / LEG: ANG / LIBER: PAR, date below, three Oxford plumes above, legend commences upper left within beaded and toothed border surrounding, EXVRGAT. DEVS. DISSIPENTVR. INIMICI:, weight 9.03g (Beresford-Jones dies VIII / 12; Schneider 317; N.2389; Brooker 851; S.2734). Weak in one part of rim both sides, light wear to high points, toned, a bold very fine.

Such coins as the gold Unite were produced at a time of duress, when the King had moved his Capital from London after the Battle of Edgehill, to the Royalist Universities of the City of Oxford, where he made a state entrance on 29th October 1642. The King lived at Christ Church, with the Queen installed at Merton; the Royalist Parliament met in the Upper Schools and Great Convocation House; the Privy Council at Oriel; and the Mint worked at New Inn Hall from the 3rd January 1642/3. These Twenty Shilling gold coins were struck for five consecutive dates, 1642, 1643, 1644, 1645, and 1646 with a number of variations in obverse and reverse dies, which were most fully defined by R Duncan Beresford-Jones in his article “The Oxford Mint 1642-46 Unites and Half-Unites” in volume 28 of the British Numismatic Journal dated 1955.

Provenance:
With an old A. H. Baldwin & Sons ticket dating from 1957.