Siege Issues
Carlisle

CNG 90, Lot: 2611. Estimate $30000. Sold for $23000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

STUART, Siege money. Carlisle. 1644-1645. AR Shilling (30mm, 4.82 g, 12h). Dated 1645. Large crown; below, ·: C : R :· above XII / · OBS :/·: CARL :·/· I645 · in three lines; rosette above and below. Brooker 1220 (same dies); North 2635; SCBC 3138. VF, toned, a few light marks under the tone. Extremely rare.

From the Ian Gordon Collection. Ex Nomos FPL 1 (Winter 2008), no. 99; Dix, Noonan, Webb 75 (26 September 2007), lot 97.

Due to its location along the Scottish-English border, the city of Carlisle became a strategic location and was periodically besieged. During the English Civil War Carlisle was besieged twice. The first siege took place in 1644, when Scottish Presbyterians, or the Covenanters, attempted to take the city from the Royalists and their commander, James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose. Being unsuccessful in this attempt, they tried again the following year. This time, the Covenanters were led by Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven. A man of great military experience because of his service in both the Dutch and Swedish armies, Leslie successfully led the siege early in 1645. The garrison and the townspeople were put on short allowance by the end of February, but although they suffered almost unexampled distresses, they held out until all hopes of relief had vanished after the Battle of Naseby in mid-June, though they did not surrender until two weeks later.