1642 Charles I Shrewsbury Pound - Very Rare Variety. D-4

Charles I (1625. - 49) Shrewsbury Mint (1642) Pound, 1642,  Shrewsbury horseman with plume behind trampling arms. Rev. Declaration between two lines, three plumes, two flank "XX" with one above, and date below. mm. Five pellets at beginning of reverse legend. (S.2918, N.2362, Morrieson D-4.  Lingford: Lot 143 (same dies) ; Lockett 2397. (English part II) [same dies]; Brooker - ) weight 119.53 grams 

One of the most impressive issues of the entire English series that weighs almost 120 grams !!! The Pound was reputedly made for use as payment for the Royalist army Colonels, and is a staggering coin that really needs to be seen and held to be fully appreciate. This distinctive type, has an obverse die flaw at 12 o'clock and in the field at 2/3 o'clock, these in someways authenticate this issue as without the flaws it would be somewhat suspect! The Morrieson D-4 is a very scarce die variety and a number of well known prominent collections that included coins of this stature were absent of an example including J G Brooker, Van Roekel, &  Paul Karon, even the Ashmolean Museum is absent of an example. This alluring example is deeply toned and is conservatively at least Very Fine in grade with a stronger reverse thats been perfectly struck centrally (something id image wasn't so was easily done on such a large coin) and superior overall to the example owned by the British Museum. We have included a third image of the Pound next a few Shillings and Halfcrown's to illustrated the sheer magnitude of this English Civil War only issue !

Upon the King's summons , Thomas Bushell closed the Aberystwyth mint and moved  its equipment and staff to Shrewsbury in Late September / Early October 1642 and the first royalist type coinage was made, known to contemporaries as  'EXURGAT MONEY'.  On the reverse , in place of Royal arms , the King's aims as a declared at  Wellington on 19th sept where he raised is standard were set out in abbreviated Latin form; RELIG : PROT: LEG : ANGL : PAR : LIBER  (The Protestant Religion, the laws of England , the Liberty of Parliament) surrounded by verse 1 of Pslam 68 EXVRGAT DEVS DISSIPENTVR INIMICI (Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered).

On 21st October Thomas Bushell distributed around £2000 worth of the newly coined EXURGAT MONEY to pay the Royal army  "to each colonel , the Medall of 20s piece of silver, all the other officers ten or five, and each private soldier Half a Crown" as an advance of pay before Edgehill. These Medalls of 20 (Pounds of Silver) were likely produced because of a lack of gold available.

After the inconclusive battle at Edgehill on 23rd October the Mint remained at Shrewsbury until December, when it was ordered to Oxford, which in the meantime had become the King's royalist and wartime capital.