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1/2 Crown - Oliver Cromwell
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1656-1658 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 33 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Crowned heraldic shield of arms occupying the central field, quartering the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland, and the personal arms of Cromwell (a lion rampant), surmounted by an imperial-style crown. The date is split on either side of the crown at the top of the shield. The Latin motto legend is arranged around the periphery within a milled border, reading continuously. |
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| Edge | Milled |
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| Additional information |
Cromwell's milled coinage of 1656–58 was produced by the French engineer Pierre Blondeau, whose roller-press technology had been fiercely resisted by the Mint's hammermen for years — they correctly understood it as a threat to their livelihoods and lobbied hard against its adoption. Blondeau's contract was essentially a political experiment, testing whether a modernized coinage could be imposed over entrenched guild opposition.
Cromwell died in September 1658, and with him went any prospect of this series continuing. Much of the issue was subsequently melted or suppressed after the Restoration, when possession of coins bearing his image became politically uncomfortable.