Edge-lettered Petition Crown wows

Goldbergs’ NYINC catalog was jam-packed with high-grade British rarities. Among them, one coin stood out: a 1663 silver pattern crown by Thomas Simon (S-3354A; ESC-429 (-72); KM-PnB33).

Great British rarity: Thomas Simon’s Petition crown that realized $649,000 at Goldbergs’ NYINC sale in January. Note Simon’s cursive signature below bust. (Image courtesy Goldberg Auctioneers)

The coin, commonly known as The Petition Crown, is Simon’s masterwork completed two years before he died. No accurate figures are available but some 15, possibly 16 were struck in silver, presumably sometime after April 8, 1663.

Today, just five examples remain in private hands. All have been auctioned in the past 25 years. That on offer in the Goldberg sale is only the third to appear at auction in the USA in the past 100 years.

It came in a highly desirable SP-53 grade as determined by the Professional Coin Grading Service and with a superb provenance dating back prior to 1788, when it sold for £30.

The 34-word, 160 character petition inscribed on the coin’s 3.5 mm edge in two lines of small letters except for large cursive “Majesty” and a pair of crowned interlinked Cs over palm branches: THOMAS SIMON. MOST. HVMBLY. PRAYS .YOVR. MAJESTY TO. COMPARE. THIS. HIS. TRYALL. PIECE. WITH. THE. DVTCH. AND. IF. MORE / TRVLY. DRAWN. & EMBOSS’D. MORE. GRACE: FVLLY. ORDER’D. AND. MORE. ACCURATELY. ENGRAVEN. TO. RELIEVE. HIM. (Image courtesy Goldberg Auctioneers)

On Wednesday Jan. 10, bidding started at $480,000. When the dust settled, the crown had hammered for $550,000. With 18 percent buyer’s premium added, the total realized was $649,000.

That price is the highest ever paid for an English silver coin.

Visit www.GoldbergCoins.com for more details about the auction.