On a quiet day exploring a new field in the Surrey Hills, Murray uncovered this silver shilling of Charles I, struck at the Tower of London mint between 1643 and 1644. The coin belongs to Group F and bears the (P) initial mark, helping to pinpoint its date and origin.
Charles I’s reign (1625–1649) was one of the most turbulent in English history, culminating in the English Civil War between Royalist supporters of the king and Parliamentarian forces. Coins struck during this period often show signs of hurried production, as the resources of the crown were stretched thin by conflict.
The shilling, worth twelve pence, was a significant denomination in everyday trade and would have been used by both soldiers and civilians alike. Minted in London while the capital was under Parliamentarian control, this coin circulated at a time when the very authority of the monarchy was in question.
Though worn from centuries in the soil, this shilling is a direct link to one of the most dramatic episodes in England’s past, discovered in the quiet fields of Surrey where echoes of civil war may once have been felt.
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