MOST VALUABLE ENGLISH COIN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3462, 24 March 1930, Page 7

MOST VALUABLE ENGLISH COIN.

One of the few available specimens of the petition crown, the most valuable English coin, ol which only 12 specimens were struck, is included m the extensive Wheeler collection to bo sold at Sotheby’s this month. This coin, examples of which have on several occasions realised from LdOJ tp-jOO, was struck by Thomas Simon in the reign ol Charles IL, when a new coinage was wanted to supplant that cl Cromwell. The honor of cutting the new dies was competed lor by Thomas Simon, an Englishman, and John Knottier, a Dutchman, but though the designs ot the former were undoubtedly superior, Charles, possibly because Knottier s father had assisted him financially during his exile, gave him prelerence. 7\,s a protost, Simon designed tins famous crown, which gained its name from the inscription round the edge, which reads — •'Thomas Simon most humbly prays vonr Majesty to compare tins his trial piece with the Dutch, and if more truly drawn and emboss’d more gra-e fully order’d and more accurately engraven to relieve (sic) him, Charles, however, ignored the petition. . . . . ■('here arc many oilier rantiesf in the same collection, which extends to nearly 1.000 items. Especially notable are some line examples of Siege money, or money "1 necessity issued by Charles I. and IE This money was struck to supply necessary funds for carrying on the wars id those troublous times. The aristocracy and the universities jrave up their silver and even their gold plate to the present day value “I b -2 which