'Extraordinarily rare' collection of coins sells for £1.1million at auction
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A collection of rare British coins has sold for an eye-watering £1.1million at auction. The coin that fetched the highest sum was an "exceptionally rare" Charles I Gold Triple Unite, which sold for £222,000. It was struck by supporters of Charles I at the height of the English Civil War in 1643. The front of the coin shows a bust of Charles holding a sword, with an olive branch draped over his left shoulder.
On its reverse is the Wellington Declaration, which is his promise to "uphold the Protestant religion, the Laws of England and the Liberty of Parliament". The coin is highly sought-after after almost all examples were melted down after Charles I was executed in 1649.
Also included in the collection was a gold Victoria Una and the Lion five pounds coin, which features a 20-year-old Queen Victoria, leading a lion which represents the British Empire. The reverse of the coin features a portrait of Queen Victoria's head. This coin, of which only 400 were ever struck, sold for £204,000 at auction.
A James I gold sovereign, struck at the start of his reign in 1603, which features England and Scotland as separate entities in the legend, went for £90,000. An Elizabeth I gold sovereign, depicting her seated on a throne holding an orb and sceptre, made £16,200. One of the most recent examples sold was a 1991 proof Queen Elizabeth II £5 coin which achieved £7,800. The coins went under the hammer at The Coin Cabinet, of Marleybone, with the overall sale making £1,086million.
