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THE OXFORD MINT CROWN -REINCARNATION OF THE SILVER CROWN
FROM KING CHARLES I TO KING CHARLES III
The Oxford mint was set up at New Inn Hall, at the present site of St Peter’s College, in January of 1642. It was overseen by Thomas Bushell and Sir William Pankhurst, former Wardens of the Shrewsbury and Tower Mints. Stocked with silver from Oxford and Cambridge colleges, and with converted foreign money, The Oxford Mint was a hugely successful enterprise and managed to cover Charles’s needs for coinage in his war effort. The Oxford Crown of 1644 represents only a fraction of this production.
War needed money. A mint was set up in Oxford at New Inn Hall, at the present site of St. Peter’s College. This managed to cover Charles’ ample needs by coining college silver and re-minting foreign money. The Oxford Crown is very rare and represents only a fraction of this output. The writing in Latin across the coin advertises Charles I’s war aims – to uphold the Protestant religion, the laws of England, and the freedom of Parliament, Oxford 1644. The writing around the coin is from Psalm 68: “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered”.
Other cities have been alluded to in a stylised fashion on English coinage, but a detailed representation such as this is without parallel. The view of Oxford is taken from a north to north-westerly direction. In the forefront is the city wall, and, from the left, Magdalen College Tower, the spires of All Saints Church (now Lincoln College library) and the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and the roof and tower of the Bodleian Library.
THE SILVER CROWN 1551
Crowns are Five Shilling pieces traditionally struck in silver. The first Silver Crown was struck during the reign of Edward VI in 1551.
The Crown is a very old coin, with origins dating back to Henry VIII. The English Crown first appeared in 1526. It was made of 22 carat gold ("crown gold") and has a value of five shillings (a quarter of a pound).
By 1551, silver was being used to produce crowns, although gold was sometimes still used. The silver crown was quite large, being about 38mm and weighing about one ounce. Around that time many Europeans countries had similar sized silver coins which made them good for international trade as they were essentially interchangeable.
The metal used was 92.5% silver and the rest copper so as to make the coin harder. This hardness, together with a milled edge, made 'clipping' (which was cutting slices off the edge to steal some free silver) more difficult.
After the Union of England and Scotland in 1707 a new coin, the British Crown, replaced the English Crown and Scottish Dollar. The value was set at 5 shillings and the size was 38mm in diameter and weighed about 1oz as before.
The Oxford Crown 1644
Charles I and the City of Oxford is caught on this remarkable coin. He is shown proudly mounted on his horse over the Oxford cityscape. The coin describes him in Latin as ‘Charles, by the grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland’. The king lived at Christ Church, the queen at Merton College.The crown gives us a view of Oxford at the time of Charles I. A detailed picture of a city like this is without parallel on English coinage. In the foreground is the city wall and moat. On the left is Magdalen Tower. The two central spires belong to All Saints Church (reconstructed since the time of Charles I, and now Lincoln College library) and the University Church of St. Mary on the High Street.
The engraver of the Oxford Crown was Thomas Rawlins, who had been appointed ‘Graver of Seals, Stamps and Medals’ at Oxford in 1643. Rawlins was a gifted young writer and poet. He is thought to have been the pupil of Frenchman Nicholas Briot, the favoured coin engraver of Charles I. Rawlins mirrors Briot’s style, but we know this crown is by Rawlins as he signed it with his own mark, a cross made of lilies.
The presence of King Charles I in Oxford in 1642–6, during the English Civil War, is preserved in this remarkable coin, known as the Oxford Crown. It bears his fine portrait placed against the Oxford cityscape. During this period the King lived at Christ Church and the Queen at Merton College. The reverse dates the coin to 1644 and advertises Charles’s aims in the Civil war – to uphold the Protestant religion, the laws of England and the freedom of Parliament.
THE SILVER CROWN 1818 - ST GEORGE AND THE DRAGON
Benedetto Pistrucci’s motif of St George slaying the Dragon first became famous on the Gold Sovereign in 1817 and was later replicated on British Silver Crowns from 1818 onwards.
This was the first time that this iconic motif appeared on a silver coin.
WILLIAM WYON AND THE OXFORD CROWN
From a family of engravers and medallists, William Wyon became Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint in 1828 after 12 years working as Second Engraver.A proponent of the neoclassical style in vogue at the time, Wyon is known for his technical skill, accurate portraits and impressive output. He was the engraver behind at least 43 different coins issued in England, as well as many more for British colonies including Jersey, Malta, Hong Kong, British India and Ceylon.
Queen Victoria was Wyon's most famous subject. His coins and medals chart her rise from 13 year old princess to crowned head of state. His 'Young Head' was in circulation from 1838 and would remain in use until Victoria was a grandmother and the fresh-faced effigy was no longer accurate. An earlier portrait of Wyon's, made for a medal, became the design used on postage stamps for more than 60 years, starting with the Penny Black in 1840.
Alongside his famed 'Three Graces' pattern and his royal profiles, Wyon's most famous design is his 1839 'Una and the Lion' engraving.
THE OXFORD CROWN 2024
The Oxford Crown was struck at the Oxford Mint in 1644 bearing the portrait of King Charles I and the cityscape of Oxford on the reverse. Todays Oxford Crown bears the effigy of his namesake King Charles III and the iconic motif of St George slaying the Dragon which first appeared on English Crowns in 1818.
The Oxford Crown draws its design inspiration from William Wyon's classical and detailed interpretation of St George slaying the Dragon.
This interpretation by Wyon first appeared on Prince Albert’s (consort of Queen Victoria) Personal Medal in 1845.
The 2024 release of the Oxford Crown is a One Crown denomination weighing 1oz with a purity of 99.9%