Charles II, 1660-85

Key Events

1658	Death of Oliver Cromwell. He is succeeded by his son Richard Cromwell
1659	Richard Cromwell is forced to resign. The Rump Parliament is restored.
1660	Charles II returns to England from Holland and is restored to the throne.
1662	Act of Uniformity compels Puritans to accept the doctrines of the Church of England or leave the church.
1662	Royal Society for the improvement of science founded
1664	England seizes the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, changing its name to New York.
1665	Outbreak of the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
1665	The Great Plague strikes London and over 60,000 die.
1666	The Great Fire of London rages for four days and three nights. Two thirds of central London is destroyed and 65,000 are left homeless.
1667	The Earl of Clarendon is replaced by a five-man Cabal.
1667	Paradise Lost by John Milton published
1667	A Dutch fleet sails up the River Medway captures the English flagship The Royal Charles and sinks three other great ships
1670	Secret Treaty of Dover, by which Charles agrees to declare himself a Catholic and restore Catholicism in England in return for secret subsidies from Louis XIV of France.
1670	Hudson Bay Company founded in North America
1671	Thomas Blood caught stealing the Crown Jewels
1672	Outbreak of the Third Dutch War.
1673	Test Act keeps Roman Catholics out of political office.
1674	Death of John Milton
1674	Peace made with the Dutch
1675	Royal Observatory founded at Greenwich
1677	John Bunyan publishes The Pilgrims Progress.
1678	The Popish Plot is fabricated by Titus Oates. He alleges a Catholic plot to murder the King and restore Catholicism. The Government over-reacts, and many Catholic subjects are persecuted.
1679	Exclusion Bill attempts to exclude James, Charles’s Catholic brother, from the succession.
1679	Habeas Corpus act passed which forbids imprisonment without trial
1682	Pennsylvania founded in America by William Penn
1683	The Rye House Plot a conspiracy to kill Charles and his brother James and return to parliamentary rule is uncovered.
1685	Charles is received into the Roman Catholic Church on his deathbed.

1661 Official Coronation Medal by Thomas Simon

Excerpt From Samuel Pepys Diaries:

The Coronation of Charles II, April 23rd 1661

… about 4 in the morning I rose.

And got to the abby, where I fallowed Sir J. Denham the surveyour with some company that he was leading in. And with much ado, by the favour of Mr. Cooper his man, did get up into a great scaffold across the north end of the abby – where with a great deal of patience I sat from past 4 till 11 before the King came in. And a pleasure it was to see the Abbey raised in the middle, all covered with red and throne (that is a chaire) and footstoole on the top of it. And all the officers of all kinds, so much as the very fidlers, in red vests.

At last comes in the Deane and prebends of Westminster with the Bishops (many of them in cloth-of-glod Copes); and after them the nobility all in their parliament-robes, which was a most magnificent sight. Then the Duke and the King with a scepter (carried by my Lord of Sandwich) and Sword and mond before him, and the crowne too.

The King in his robes, bare headed, which was very fine. And after all had placed themselfs – there was a sermon and the service. And then in the Quire at the high altar he passed all the ceremonies of the Coronacion – which, to my very great grief, I and most of the Abbey could not see. The crowne being put upon his head, a great shout begun. And he came forth to the Throne and there passed more ceremonies: as, taking the oath and having things read to him by the Bishopp, and his lords (who put on their capps as soon as the King put on his Crowne) and Bishopps came and kneeled before him.

And three times the King-at-armes went to the three open places on the scaffold and proclaimed that if any one could show any reason why Ch.Steward should not be King of England, that now he should come and speak.

And a Generall pardon also was read by the Lord Chancellor; and meddalls flung up and down by my Lord Cornwallis – of silver; but I could not come by any.

1662 Marriage Badge

Coins

1660 Pattern Broad

Restoration of the monarchy

T. Simon

N. 2776

Provenance:

bt MH Coins August 2022

ex Lloyd Bennett <2006 £250

1660-61 Halfcrown, third hammered issue

S. 3321

Provenance:

Bt MH Coins March 20-21

Ex Baldwins Fixed Price List

Provenance:

bt Phillip Hutchings June 2020

1662 Crown First bust, stop above, rose below

Edge Undated, Stop after HIB.

S. 3350 Bull 340 ESC 15A

Provenance:

bt MH Coins May 2021

1663 Halfcrown

S. 3361 Bull 438 ESC 457

1663 Shilling

S. 3371 Bull 500 ESC 1022

Slabbed and graded CGS 45 (GVF)

1666 Crown Second bust variety with Elephant below. Extra stop in RE.X.

The elephant was the badge of the Royal African Company, supplier of the bullion. James Stuart, Duke of York (from whom New York got its name), the future King James II, was Governor of the company from 1660 to 1688, and its largest shareholder.

S. 3356 Bull 369 ESC 34 Rated R2 (very rare)

Slabbed and graded LCGS 30 (GF)

Ex Croydon Coin Auction No.59 (70) and Alan Barr, Part III, Mark Rasmussen, List 8, Summer 2005 (C421) (£750), Mark Rasmussen, List 22 (22/C63) (£1500)