Saturday 31 August 2019

Some one not a fan of Cromwell





I bought this Commonwealth shilling recently. It has a sun mintmark and the date is 165? I do not mean the final digit is a question mark! It is difficult to read. Any suggestions? I just thought it was worn but if you look at it carefully it has been deliberately damaged on both sides. The legend around the edge is in quite good condition. 

Most Commonwealth coins must have been recalled after the Restoration. This one was deliberately damaged by a Royalist. One shilling would have been a significant amount - perhaps two days’ pay for a craftsman. There are examples of ancient roman coins that deliberately damaged but I have not come across one like this. Damnatio memoriae is the Latin phrase for those coins.



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