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1 Unite - Charles II 1st Issue
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1660-1662 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of King Charles II facing left, with no mark of value behind the bust. The royal effigy is rendered in the hammered style typical of the Interregnum restoration coinage. A continuous Latin legend encircles the portrait, interrupted by pellet stops. The flan shows the characteristic irregular form associated with hammered gold coinage of this first post-Restoration issue. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Unite was revived for Charles II's first coinage immediately following the Restoration in 1660, before the king had even sat for a proper portrait. The unsigned hammered dies used for this issue were prepared in haste, and the coinage was authorised to begin circulating while negotiations over a new milled coinage were still unresolved. Parliament had debated replacing hammered coin entirely since the 1640s, and the Interregnum had left the currency in genuine disorder.
This issue was superseded and officially demonetised following the introduction of the milled coinage in 1662 — holders were required to bring hammered gold in for recoinage, which accounts for the relative scarcity of surviving examples in anything above fine condition.