How to Identify the Charles II Shilling

Start with the denomination and metal. A Charles II Shilling is a silver coin roughly the size of a modern smaller crown-type piece, larger than a sixpence of the same reign. The milled issues are struck on a round, even flan with sharp, uniform detail, while the early 1660-1662 issues are hammered and more irregular. Note that this coin carries no mark of value in the field, so do not expect an XII; the denomination is judged from size, weight and design.

Read the obverse next. You should see a laureate, draped bust of Charles II in profile facing right, with a Latin legend running around the edge naming him as king. The right-facing laureate bust, without a crown and without a value mark, is the core signature of the type and immediately separates it from the left-facing crowned, XII-marked shillings of Charles I. Compare the bust style against reference plates, as the portrait was modified across the reign.

Turn to the reverse. Confirm the royal arms displayed on four shields arranged as a cross, each topped by a crown, representing England, Scotland, France and Ireland, with the interlinked royal initials in the angles between the shields. This cruciform arrangement of crowned shields is standard for the milled Charles II shilling and differs clearly from the single quartered shield of many earlier hammered issues.

Check the edge and the field below the bust. Milled coins have a decorated or grained edge rather than the plain edge of a hammered coin, which is a useful authenticity check. Look below the bust for small plumes or an elephant device: these provenance marks record Welsh silver or African Company silver and both narrow the attribution and affect value. The date, where present, together with the bust variety, pins down the exact issue.

Be alert to look-alikes and pitfalls. The shillings of James II and William and Mary that follow carry different portraits and legends, and the earlier Commonwealth and Charles I silver is quite different again. Because these coins are old and often circulated, expect honest wear, but watch for cast surfaces, casting seams, soft mushy detail, tooling, or the wrong weight, all of which can indicate a forgery or an altered coin. For anything beyond a common worn date, seek confirmation from a specialist in milled English silver or a reputable auction record.