Important British and World Coins

Charles II (1660-1685), Pattern Crown, 1662, in gold, unsigned (by J. Roettier), undraped frosted laureate bust right, rev. crowned cruciform shields with Star of the Garter in centre, interlinked cs in angles, crowns, star, cs, outlines of shields and numerals all frosted, frosted lettering both sides, edge plain, 58.62g/6h (WR 49; ESC 71; L & S 1). Die flaw on reverse beading between 10 and 11 o’clock and some minor surface marks, otherwise good extremely fine and excessively rare, only three specimens believed known (£50,000-60,000)

Provenance:
C. Dabney Thompson Collection
G. Le Mare Collection [from Spink]
Glendining Auction, 13 April 1972, lot 372
J.G. Brooker Collection
E. Stroud Collection [from Spink]
D. Arnold Collection, Spink Auction 97, 13 May 1993, lot 36 [from Spink].

Illustrated on the front cover.

John Roettier was invited to London by Charles II in 1661 and the following year appointed as one of the chief engravers of the Mint, the King respecting his late father's appointment of Thomas Rawlins as chief engraver. Roettier produced pattern crowns with undraped and draped busts and with lettered and plain edges. Thomas Simon had also been invited to submit designs but was tardy in so doing. Roettier was given the task of producing dies for the new milled coinage, after which Simon submitted his Petition Crown by way of appeal. The King was unswayed.

The undraped bust was adopted for the gold denominations and the draped for the silver, a sensible practice which contributed to the prevention of the passing off of gilt silver coins as gold and one which was continued into the reign of George III