A collection of English coins from the 11th to the 20th century

The highly anticipated Numismatics Auction organized by Cambi Auction House and Crippa Numismatics returns from Tuesday, November 11 to Thursday, November 13, 2025.

The event features two catalogues that take the public on a true journey through history, from the ancient world to the modern age. The second catalogue broadens the scope, offering an itinerary that spans different eras and geographical areas, culminating in one of the most fascinating and eagerly awaited sections of this edition: the collection of English gold coins from the 11th to the 20th century. This remarkable selection retraces nearly a millennium of British history, minting through the faces of kings and queens the story of an empire and its cultural legacy.

The history of English coinage from the 14th to the 20th century stands as an extraordinary testament to both continuity and transformation, where the artistic and technical evolution of minting intertwines with the political events of the great dynasties that succeeded one another on the throne. The coins presented in the auction illustrate this long journey with exceptional clarity.

In the midst of the Hundred Years’ War, the reign of Edward III Plantagenet (1327–1377) marked a turning point in English coinage. It was under his rule that the gold noble was introduced, exemplified by Lot 1173 — a superb specimen struck in London between 1351 and 1361, during the so-called “pre-Treaty” period. Depicting the monarch standing aboard a ship, sword in hand and shield at his side, the noble celebrates England’s naval power and the nation’s emergence as a major player on the European economic stage. It remains one of the most iconic coins of the Middle Ages, a symbol of the strength of the gold standard and the prestige of the realm.

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A century later, the noble of Henry VI of Lancaster (1422–1461), lot 1174, retains the same iconography but belongs to a period of intense internal strife, marked by the dynastic conflicts of the Wars of the Roses and the ensuing political crisis. Also struck in London, it bears witness to the continuity of the model introduced by Edward III, as well as to the difficulties of a kingdom contested between the houses of Lancaster and York.

With the rise of the Tudors, English coinage entered a new era. The reign of Henry VIII (1509–1547) is among the most prominently represented in this collection and offers a comprehensive overview of his monetary policies, from the early issues to the great debasement of the later years. Lot 1179, an elegant half sovereign from the “third coinage” (Tower Mint, London), depicts the monarch at the height of his authority, now separated from Rome and head of the Church of England.

The crown of the double rose (lot 1180), struck between 1526 and 1533 during the second coinage, is instead a masterpiece of dynastic symbolism: the double rose unites the houses of Lancaster and York, sealing the legitimacy of the Tudors and the restored peace after decades of civil war.

The reign of Edward VI (1547–1553), represented by lot 1184 with a refined half sovereign from the second issue, continued the use of gold coinage but within a context already marked by the economic difficulties inherited from his father. Edward’s coins, while maintaining high artistic standards, reflect a period of political and religious instability that would culminate in the brief yet intense reign of Mary I Tudor (1553–1554).

Lot 1185, an impressive 30-shilling sovereign from 1553, is among the rarest and most emblematic issues of Mary I. The queen, daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, was the first woman to reign over England with full authority and sought, through coinage, to reaffirm both the Catholic tradition and the prestige of the monarchy. Her gold sovereign, of extraordinary elegance, embodies the majesty of female power and the will for religious restoration that defined her brief reign.

After the brief interlude of the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I, the throne passed to Elizabeth I (1558–1603), represented in the auction by lot 1189, a splendid gold pound struck between 1594 and 1596 at the Tower Mint in London. This coin, featuring the mature and majestic portrait of the queen, reflects the political stability and economic revival of Elizabethan England, while celebrating the power and independence of a kingdom that, under her rule, was beginning to dominate the seas and European trade.

With the advent of the Stuarts, English coinage reached new heights of refinement and technical innovation. Lot 1191, a magnificent rose ryal of 30 shillings from the reign of James I (1613), celebrates the union of the crowns of England and Scotland and the birth of the modern British monarchy. The rich floral symbolism, with the Tudor rose at its center, evokes the ideal of unity of the realm under the new dynasty.

A few years later, lot 1192, a laurel struck between 1619 and 1620, bears witness to the gold coinage reform introduced by James I, who established coins of more stable weight and value, aligning them with continental standards.

The century concludes with lot 1197, a unite of 20 shillings from the reign of Charles I (1631–1632), the work of the renowned French engraver Nicholas Briot, who introduced mechanical minting to the London Mint. This coin, among the first to be produced using modern techniques, marks the transition from traditional hand striking to industrial coining — a prelude to the regular and precise coinage that would define the centuries to come.

This selection of coins, spanning four centuries of history, narrates the evolution of the English monarchy through the language of precious metal. From the majestic noble of Edward III to the solemn rose ryal of James I, from the commanding portrait of Henry VIII to the refined strikes of Charles I, each piece reflects the spirit of its age: the dynastic wars, the Reformation, the royal unions, and the technical revolutions of the mint. It is a story of gold and power, of faith and renewal, that spans the entire modern era — and finds in this collection one of its most evocative and comprehensive expressions.

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