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Oxford Crown
Why do you think Charles chose to include the excerpt from Psalm 68 on his coin? ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered.”
The Oxford crown is a rare surviving example of the coins that Charles I minted in Oxford when he established his headquarters in Oxford during the English Civil War. A mint was set up in Oxford in New Inn Hall from 1643 to 1646, (the present site of St Peter’s College) and college silver was melted down for coinage. The King is shown on the Oxford Crown, proudly mounted on his horse over the Oxford cityscape. In the foreground is the city wall and moat. On the left is Magdalen Tower. The two central spires belong to All Saints Church (reconstructed since the time of Charles I and now Lincoln College Library). The accompanying Latin inscription reads, ‘Charles, by the grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland.’ The reverse of the coin proclaims Charles I’s war aims – to uphold the Protestant religion, the laws of England, and the freedom of Parliament, Oxford 1644.’ The writing around the side of the coin is from Psalm 68: ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered.” Gallery 2: The Ashmolean Story
