Penny of the Commonwealth period

May 17, 2024 Peter

A detectorist signing himself as Steve said this coin was unearthed in Cumbria. He said he was unfamiliar with the design so needed more details and a valuation for a landowner.

Steve’s find is a silver penny of the Commonwealth period. After the execution of Charles I early in 1649 England was declared by Parliament to be a Commonwealth and Republic. In 1653 Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector and when he died in 1658 his son, Richard, took up the same position. However, by the late 1650s most people were fed up with the Commonwealth and wanted a change. Richard Cromwell resigned his position and retired overseas. In 1660 General Monck seized the reins of power and this led to the Restoration of the Monarchy.

This penny measures only 13mm in diameter and would have been in decent condition had it not been defaced by a large hole. Lots of small hammered silver coins of the 16^th and 17^th centuries turn up pierced. It has been suggested that the holes were placed in small coins in order to store them on a piece of string; in that way they were less likely to be lost.