GREAT BRITAIN. Commonwealth. Gold Broad Pattern of 50 Shillings, 1656. London (Blondeau) Mint. Oliver Cromwell (as Lord Protector). PCGS PROOF-62 Cameo. S-3224; Fr-272; KM-Pn24; N-2743; WR-38. By T. Simon. Believed to be one of just 12 or so examples known, this <strong>IMMENSELY RARE</strong>, thicker pattern issue in gold is undoubtedly within the pantheon of gold strikings, not just within the English series, but within world gold coins more broadly. Highly enchanting and shimmering, this lustrous specimen provides a pale golden-yellow hue similar to that of the finest of Bohemian pilsners, while some subtle pastel hints of cobalt and fuchsia populate the obverse, enveloping the bust of the Lord Protector with firework-like fanfare. Displaying the skillful engraving of Thomas Simon and the refined minting of Peter Blondeau, this majestic specimen features a strike that is crisp and robust, with the stippled shadow-like nature on Cromwells bust acting as the calling card for the series, and the well-engraved letter forms serving as an allusion to the minting techniques that await in the near-distant future. An incredible opportunity for the most advanced of specialists in the series, or for those seeking gold coinage often relegated merely to observation behind a velvet rope. Given the paltry output, as these were likely minted as presentation pieces, it goes without saying that the present example is likely one of the finest known, with the only other two specimens grading finer both attaining the grade of PCGS PROOF-63 Cameo. One of those two examples, the Brand specimen, is mentioned below, while the other appears to have been, in the opinion of this cataloger, somewhat inflated with respect to its designation, as it displays a number of hairlines and bag marks to the surfaces, most notably in the reverse field to the left of the shield. As such, the Brand specimen serves as the closest observed comparable piece.<p><p>The last two examples of this stunning type to trade were in April 2023, where an NGC AU-55 realized a total of €240,000 [~$263,000 at the time], and a much more comparable piece, an uncertified (at the time) "better than extremely fine" pedigreed to the Virgil Brand Collection and now in a PCGS PROOF-63 Cameo holder, which realized a total of £471,200 [~$646,000 at the time] in January 2021. As such, given the intense, captivating eye appeal put forth by this mid-17th century tour de force, the heights to which it could soar are rather dizzying to fathom. From the Bill Barber Collection.
