charles 1st shilling?

[Grim72]

Hi, hope I am doing this right as it is my first post. I am a metal detectorist in Fife, Scotland and recently came across my first "good" find but as I am a newbie I was hoping this would be the place to come to get a bit more context and advice in terms of being able to drill down into any details to help me identify any specifics (date/where it was milled etc)?

I think I have managed to ID it as a Charles 1st silver shilling from the 1640s but I may be wrong.

If anyone can add any confirmation and provide ANY additional info about this specific coin it would be greatly appreciated. It is the first coin I have discovered that wasn't corroded beyond recognition lol so will be a special one for me to remember (hence the reason for wanting to find out as much as possible about it). Incidentally, unlike common coins the obverse and the reverse don't align at all - I assume that is normal in coins of this age? ie If the head is upright and I flip it over then the reverse is upside down and at an angle? As said, I am new to this so apologies if this is a daft question.

 

Am I also right to assume that the coin would have been clipped to use silver for other payments - hence the reason why some of the edge is missing?

[Paddy]

There are others who are far more expert than I am on Charles I shillings. I am sure they will chip in soon.

In the meantime: Yes it is a Charles I shilling. The XII behind the head is for 12 pence - a shilling, and the "Carolus" above the head confirms Charles.

The next key thing is to work out the mintmark - you can see just the base of this before the word Carolus. It could be the Tun, but others may correct me.

Yes, clipping of these coins is common, even though it was a Capital offence.

Value in that condition is difficult to assess. Unless it proves to be a rare variety I suspect the sentimental value as you first good find will outweigh any price at market.

[Grim72]

Thank you Paddy - I already know more than I did so appreciate you taking the time to reply. Do you know if there is a way to decipher the exact year (or is that not possible due to the amount of info lost by the clipped edge)? Must admit value isn't a concern as I have no intention of parting with it, I don't suspect it would have much anyway due to the relatively poor condition (in the eyes of collectors)

[Coinery]

The mint mark looks to be a P in brackets (P) which makes it a Tower Mint shilling under Parliament, dated1643-44

[Grim72]

Thanks for that - tallies with my original thoughts based on my Spinks book - I figured it was sometime between 1642-9 so that narrows it down further for me , thank you.

[TomGoodheart]

I agree with Coinery. (P) which means it was struck at the Tower (of London) mint, but while it was under parliamentary control, Charles having fled London in 1642 Grim. Struck some time between 29 May 1643 and 15 Jul 1644. Spink 2800, Sharp G1/1 are the references.

These were struck on hand cut flans so while it looks clipped it is possible it isn't. 6g or thereabouts was the target weight for shillings (+ or - 5%). A blank silver disk was dropped into a cup, bearing the die for the reverse of the coin. Then the face die was inserted and hammered. There was no set orientation for the dies, it just depended on how the moneyer picked up the die.

[Grim72]

Wow - thanks Tom - some really good/useful info there and thanks for clearing my query about the orientation - that makes sense. Always amazes me how much info people can glean from something like this. I know where to come if/when I find anything else worthy of a question (may be a long time before I am back based on how long it has taken me to find my first coin worth asking for details about. My best find before this was an old Dundee Infirmary halfpenny token but that wasn't in great condition. I've attached a photo of that one in case anyone was interested - must admit, until I found this I hadn't even heard of trade tokens and just assumed it was a coin. Appreciate this isn't a coin but thought some of you might find it of interest. .

[Peckris 2]

We have a Hammered forum - for future enquiries, that's the place to post (FYI)

[Grim72]

Will do - hopefully a mod can move this thread to the relevant place if needs be. Appreciate all the help and advice guys - a nice friendly welcome from all which is reassuring.