M & H
1648 Charles I Pontefract Shilling Hird 270 -1
£4,800
Charles I (1625-49) Pontefract (1648-1649) Shilling, In the name of Charles I. Type I. Dated 1648. DVM : SPIRO : SPERO, crowned C · R. rev, Castle gateway with flag; OBS to left, P C above, hand holding sword to right, 1648 below.
(S.3148; N.2646; Hird 270–1 (same dies); Brooker 1229–30 (same dies)) weight 5.28 grams
Pontefract Castle, located in West Yorkshire, played a pivotal role during the English Civil War, enduring three significant sieges between 1644 and 1649. The first siege commenced in December 1644 when Parliamentarian forces, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, sought to capture the Royalist stronghold. Nathan Drake's diary meticulously records the relentless bombardment faced by the castle. Drake's entries also highlight the dire conditions within the castle. He describes the scarcity of provisions, the constant threat of cannon fire, and the resilience of the garrison. One notable incident involved eleven men and boys trapped in the nearby All Saints Church, which had been incorporated into the castle's defenses. After being surrounded by Parliamentarian forces, they managed a daring escape back to the castle under the cover of night. During the third and final siege, the besieged Royalist garrison minted their own currency, to sustain the economy within the castle and pay soldiers. Even after the execution of Charles I on 30 January 1648/9, Pontefract still would not surrender. Now, Colonel Morrice declared for Charles II and the city's motto – Post mortem patris pro filio appeared on the later issues of the coinage. On 24 March 1649, almost two months after Charles was beheaded and after a siege of almost nine months, Colonel Morrice and his garrison finally capitulated. To ensure that the castle would not serve as a base for any future rebellion and, on the pleadings of the local populace weary of war, Parliament had the remains of the castle demolished later that same year. This wonderful good
very fine specimen upon close scrutiny exhibits signs of being once worn and hung for suspension by a royalist.