Charles I (1625-1649), Newark besieged, Ninepence 1645, Crown above mark of value IX, C and R each side, reverse OBS: NEWARK 1645 (N 2641; S 3144)

Very fine, end of date a little weak, pierced at top for suspension

Accompanied by an old collector's ticket which explains "pierced and worn round the neck by Royalists during the Commonwealth until the Restoration". The final siege of Newark, during which this coin was struck, lasted from November 1645 to the town's surrender in May 1646. The town was Royalist and surrendered only on King Charles's orders, by which time the king was already a prisoner of the Scots. The town's surrender effectively ended the first English Civil War. These Newark siege pieces were made from silver plate donated by wealthy citizens in Newark during the siege. They are rare, and a tangible link with a turbulent period in England's history.

SOLD