Three-pound piece, King Charles I (r. 1625–49)

Simon de Passe|The Royal Mint

1642 · Gold · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The supplies of bullion brought to Europe from the New World in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries caused inflation, and in response new coinage was issued with a wider range of denominations. Gold coins like the sovereign, with the value of one pound, twenty shillings, first appeared in 1489. It was replaced by the unite in 1604 and by the guinea in 1663. Initially minted in gold, the crown was also produced in silver from 1551, with standardized dimensions similar to other European coins. The half-figure of Charles I is taken from an engraving made by Simon de Passe (1595–1647) while he was working for the English court (1615–23).

Artist

Simon de Passe|The Royal Mint

Date

1642

Medium

Gold

Culture

British

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of the Estate of John L. Cadwalader, 1915