The Shrewsbury mint, and it's successors at Oxford and Bristol, operated as extensions of the Aberystwyth mint. Thomas Bushell and Sir William Parkhurst were named joint wardens of this group of mints. The Aberystwyth equipment, including some coin dies,  and the staff were moved to Shrewsbury in late September, 1642. However, after the battle of Edgehill the Shrewsbury mint was moved on to Oxford, arriving there in early January, 1643. Shrewsbury castle was extensively repaired in 1643 during the Civil War, and was briefly besieged by Parliamentary forces from Wem before its surrender.  The first products of the Shrewsbury mint may have been of Aberystwyth type; certainly there are mules from  Aberystwyth and Oxford dies.  Shrewsbury's own dies included one of the most characteristic royalist coinages of the period, known as "Exurgat money".

This section covers coins issued in 1642: Spink numbers 2917-2936, but please see the separate section for the halfcrowns of 1644, Spink numbers 3119-3128.

Sir Francis Ottley with his wife, Lucy, and children, Richard and Mary. Sir Francis was the royalist military governor of Shrewsbury at the beginning of the English Civil War.