How to Identify the Charles I Forty Pence

Begin with the portrait. The obverse should show Charles I in left-facing profile, crowned, wearing armor, with the long curled hair that defines his portraiture. Read the surrounding Latin legend, which gives his royal titles. The bust style, the armor, and the hand-cut lettering together signal a hammered Charles I coin rather than a later milled or foreign piece.

Turn to the reverse and read the motto. The crowned heraldic shield is encircled by a legend reading toward PRO REGE ET LEGE, "for king and law." The pairing of a crowned armored bust with a crowned shield and this royalist motto is the type's core signature. Note the charges on the shield — a cross with floral or quartered elements — and confirm they match published descriptions for the denomination.

Check fabric, size, and metal. This is a hand-hammered silver coin, so expect a slightly out-of-round flan, uneven rims, and the soft or occasionally doubled relief typical of hammered striking. Weigh and measure the coin and compare against the published specifications for the forty-pence denomination; a markedly underweight coin may be clipped, which reduces both value and authenticity confidence.

Locate the mint mark. Small symbols placed in the legends (initial marks) identify the mint and the period within Charles I's reign, which matters because coins were struck at several royal, provincial, and emergency mints during the 1640s. Cross-reference the mark, legend spelling, and portrait style against a standard reference for Charles I hammered silver to pin down the attribution.

Be cautious about authentication and look-alikes. Charles I silver is sometimes faked, and cast copies, tooled surfaces, and modern replicas exist; the reign also produced many similar-looking denominations, so do not assume size from a photograph alone. Watch for casting seams, bubbles, unnaturally smooth fields, or lettering that lacks hand-cut variation. For any coin of significant value, seek an opinion from a specialist in early British hammered coinage or a reputable grading service.