1656 Oliver Cromwell Gold Pattern Broad PCGS PR63 Deep Cameo
A simply astounding Deep Cameo Proof type that acts as a mirror into contemporary English history, the gold Broads of Oliver Cromwell quite noticeably lay out just how tenuous the arrangements made at the conclusion of the English Civil War really were. Laying aside at least one particular aspect of the recently overturned monarchy very definitively, Cromwell's dedication to beautifying the coinage of the realm cannot be doubted, particularly compared with the general lack of attention paid during the reign of Charles I. Very much providing the final push towards a more regular milled coinage after numerous failed attempts by his predecessors, these portrait Broads masterfully paired the genius of Thomas Simon's engraving with the technological know-how of Pierre Blondeau. Produced entirely in Blondeau's own private Drury House (as the Tower Mint moneyers loathed Blondeau and refused to let him work alongside them), the coinage was designed as a statement of Cromwell's power and to serve as an example of the dramatic improvements in coin production under the Commonwealth.
