1644-45 Gold Crown – Charles I (Tower Mint under Parliament)

The 1644-45 Gold Crown - Charles I (Tower Mint under Parliament)

A circulating gold crown from the reign of King Charles I, from around 1644-1645 when the civil war raged and the Tower Mint in London was now controlled by Parliament. Charles' reign would not last much longer.

The coin is made in 22 carat gold. The mint mark is '(R)' (an R in brackets) and is shown on both sides. The mint mark indicates the Tower Mint under Parliament, struck in 1644-45.

The classification is Group D, fourth crowned bust left, class I, bust 5. Weight 2.31g. SCBC: 2716.
    
The Obverse shows the fourth crowned bust of King Charles I facing left. To the right of the head, the 'V' is a mark of value, 5 shillings or one Crown. Legend is "CAROLVS. D'. G'. MAG'. BRI'. FR'. ET. HI'. REX", meaning "Charles by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland".

The Reverse shows a crowned quartered oval shield of arms. Legend is "CVLTORES. SVI. DEVS. PROTEGIT" meaning "God protects his worshippers".

The coin shown was graded by NGC as AU58, making it one of the finest examples in existence. To illustrate how these rare coins have been increasing in price, the provenance of this coin shows it was sold in 1993 for £200, then sold in 2007 for £900. In 2025 it is being offered at £6,850.

Image credit: The Royal Mint

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