POST MEDIEVAL COIN

Unknown artist

A cast copper alloy fake of a Charles I silver penny. The obverse depicts the king with ruff and mantle with 'I' behind the portrait, imitating a Group B penny (Spink no.2840) but is oversized with a diameter of 15mm and has no mintmark. The bust is also crudely rendered. Interestingly, the obverse legend - CAROLUS.D.G.M.B.FR.ET.HI.RX is more closely associated with that of a half groat but with a missing 'E' in the REX. The reverse is an oval, garnished shield. The production of such an obvious fake was perhaps not for the purpose of fraud, but to create a copy as a souvenir or to show allegiance to the king during the Civil War.