An extremely rare £1 coin from the start of the English Civil War has emerged for sale at auction with an estimate of £20,000 - but could go for up to £50,000.

The solid silver "Declaration Pound" dates from 1643 and was struck in Oxford, a newly-forged seat of power for Charles I after he withdrew from London.

A new parliament was set up as was a mint at New Inn Hall that was created to launch an official currency in Royalist control.

The legend on the back of the coin translates as Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered.

It is literally a declaration of the King's power and his belief in the "absolute monarch". This coin is a rare survival from the last years of the doomed monarch's reign.

The large coin that is over two inches across remains in very good condition and has been well kept over the years.

It was discovered when the owner took it into Duke's auction house in Dorchester, Dorset, without knowing what it was.

Timothy Medhurst, a coin specialist and auctioneer at Duke's, said it was the type of item he dreams of finding.

He said: "This coin marked Charles I's attempts to regain his failing power and it represents a pivotal moment in the history of the British Isles.

"It is a coin which is rare to find and it will cause a stir in the coin collecting world.

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1643 rare English Civil War Declaration Pound coin may fetch £50,000 at auction(www.blackmorevale.co.uk/1643-rare-English-Civil-War-Declaration-Pound/story-26105624-detail/story.html)