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  • image Image 1 for SDR21.21
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Obverse, SM SDR21.21. ©Sir John Soane's Museum, London. Photo: Justin Piperger
  • image Image 1 for SDR21.21
  • image Image 2 for SDR21.21

Commonwealth sovereign, 1651

1651

Gold

Museum number: SDR21.21

Not on display

Curatorial note

An English Commonwealth (1649-60) gold Unite of Twenty Shillings, dated 1651.

On the obverse the English shield within laurel and palm branch, legends in English language.THE. COMMONWEALTH. OF. ENGLAND. On the reverse the English and Irish shields; above them the value .XX., circle and legend surrounding, with date 1651 at top, legend surrounding reads .GOD. WITH. VS.

All gold coins of this period are struck in 22 carat gold and they are the first British coins to have legends in plain English.


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