An “extraordinarily effective and uncommon” Oliver Cromwell gold coin belonging to a Scarborough-based collector has bought at public sale for a world report £471,200.
The 50 shilling piece dates again to 1656 and was made by Thomas Simon, Cromwell’s chief engraver. It’s considered one in every of solely 12 in existence, in response to auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb.
It was estimated to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000 earlier than going below the hammer on Thursday.
The coin was a part of the gathering of American-born Marvin Reduce, who moved to Scarborough in 1962. The public sale was the ultimate one in every of 4 held during the last 4 years in a sequence named the “North Yorkshire Moors Assortment of British Cash” on behalf of Mr Reduce.
Over the course of the 4 auctions his excellent assortment of cash and medals was bought for a complete of just about £2.three million.
Peter Preston-Morley, of Dix Noonan Webb, mentioned the value was a report for a Cromwellian coin.
It was introduced by an American after curiosity was proven from international locations within the Far East, North America and UK.
He mentioned: “That is the perfect assortment of Cromwellania to return onto the market in trendy instances – lots of the items had been both distinctive or the one one exterior an establishment.
“Marvin Reduce’s favorite interval of numismatic research centred on the mid-17th century – the cash, medals and seals of Oliver Cromwell and the early years of Charles II and the costs within the sale mirrored the significance of those cash. We felt that we had saved the perfect to final and the costs achieved had been proof of this.”
Mr Reduce was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1934 and was a collector from an early age, of cash, stamps, arms and armour.
He spent his profession within the aerospace and defence business, working in varied places in Europe and North America.
Nonetheless, it was when he moved to Scarborough in North Yorkshire in 1962 that he started to gather British cash on a critical foundation and he quickly grew to become a outstanding determine in numismatic societies.
In addition to the Thomas Cromwell coin, different highlights from the 4 auctions – which introduced in a mixed whole of £2,296,050 – included an “extraordinarily uncommon” silver Commonwealth Shilling by Irishman David Ramage, which bought for £74,400 in opposition to an estimate of £15,000-20,000 and a gold Naval Reward medal from 1653-4, which bought for £49,600 in opposition to an estimate of £30,000-40,000.
A gold medal of Lord Protector, circa 1655-Eight by T. Simon, depicting an armoured and draped bust bought for £39,680 to the American commerce (estimate: £10,000-15,000). Solely three or 4 of those medals are identified and one is within the British Museum.
