A 1643 Charles I triple unite coin has realised £105,000 ($148,756).
The exceptional piece, which was once part of King Edward VII's personal collection, starred in a sale of English hammered gold coins at Spink London on March 22.
 This example of the unite coin was minted in Oxford in 1643 |
The unite issue was first released in 1612 and is named in reference to the Latin inscriptions that appear on earlier examples - for example "Florent Concordia Regna" ("Through Concord Kingdoms Flourish").
It expresses the desire of the royals to unite the kingdoms of Scotland and England.
The present piece was minted in Oxford, which was where Charles I regrouped his forces after being ousted from London during the English civil war (1642-1651).
While it's still referred to as a unite coin, the inscription has been changed to read "Exurgat Deus Dissipentur Inimici" or "Let God Arise and His Enemies Be Scattered".
The piece also displays a rare combination of dies.
Spink comments: "There are only four known Triple Unites with the obverse used for the 1642 coinage combined with a reverse dated 1643…
"Of these, three have the L2 reverse, and one has the L3 reverse. This coin is one of three exceedingly rare examples with the L2 reverse."
We have a rare 1626 lightweight minting of a Charles I Unite coin for sale.
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