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Coins Of The Realm
Contributed by Anne
Woodley and Jim Gillogly
The re-coinage was an attempt to change the
currency to paper money, 1816
Britain had finally rejected the age-long attempt to work currency on a bi-metallic system
(gold and silver) - both were legal tender to any amount. The gold standard begins in
1816.
Because there had been both a copper and silver famine during much of the last few years
there were huge numbers of local tokens to take the place of the official coins (which
were often quickly melted down or clipped as their weight value was greater than their
face value)
Feb 1 1817 - the new money ready for exchange - the new coins were:
Sovereign Half Sovereign
Silver Crown Half Crown
Shilling Sixpence
Jan 1818 - all circulation of private copper tokens was prohibited. Other coins had
been banned in 1813.
As far as I can gather there was still a lot of coins floating around from the time of
Queen Anne just because coins were only struck when it was deemed they were needed, or in
the case of copper and silver coins, when the price of the metal allowed it.
This is when some of the other coins were struck that Jim refers to [see Table below].
1762 - a quarter guinea was stuck but it was too small and easily lost so not
really taken to - it was struck because of the lack of silver.
1797 - Panic causes a run on the banks and Pitt orders the suspension of all cash
payments and makes notes legal tender.
1798 - Guineas ceased to be struck - a few in 1799 and 1813 (special military
guineas for Wellington). Gold guineas often worth more than a pound note and a shilling
1797 - 1802 - Seven shilling pieces and half guinea coins struck, they were again
between 1804 - 1813
1797 - Spanish dollars were admitted to currency. The British overstamped Charles's
head with George III -It was worth 4 shillings and 9 pence
In 1804 the over-stamped Spanish dollars increased in value to 5 shillings and it
was resolved to reissue it as a 5 shilling dollar - they formed the main silver currency
from 1804-1816
1770-5 - only ha’pennys and farthings struck in copper
1797 - an immense twopenny coin was authorised. It was known as a cartwheel made by
Boulton at his Soho foundry and used 2 ounces of copper. Pennys, halfpennys were also
struck - the price of copper then rose. You can imagine how unpopular a pocketful of
cartwheels were - they were known to rip the lining out of the pocket.
In 1799 a smaller half penny was struck.
Local tokens were struck to make up the shortfall of small change.
1811 - some inroads in the war on local token, the Bank of England struck small
silver coins - they didn't issue shilling and 1/2 crowns this time but instead stamped 3
shilling and 18 penny pieces
1812 - guinea worth 27 shillings
1815 - guinea worth 21 shillings again
(Most of this is From Charles Oman's book)
Anne Woodley
| Farthing |
1Ž4 pence |
| Ha’penny |
1Ž2 pence |
| Penny |
1d [d is for
"denarius", meaning penny |
| |
1.5d, three halfpence |
| Tuppence, Half Groat |
2d |
| Threepence, Frippence, Joey,
Half Fiddle?? |
3d |
| Groat |
4d |
| Fivepence [As fine as
fivepence] |
5d |
| Fiddle ie Half a Shilling??,
Half-borde, Tanner, Tilbury |
6d |
| Ninepence [struck through 1812] |
9d |
| Shilling, Bob, Borde |
12d = 1s |
| Name ? [An 18d coin was struck
from 1811 1816] |
18d |
| Name ? [3s coin struck through
1816] |
3s |
| Crown |
5s |
| Bulls-eye, Coachwheel |
Crown |
| Third Guinea [through 1813] |
7s |
| Half-sovereign |
10s |
| Sovereign [First struck in
1817] |
20s = 1 Pound [£] |
| Canary, Quid, Yellow-boy |
Sovereign |
| Guinea |
21s |
| Goblin, Yellow Goblin |
Guinea |
| Double finnup, Tenner |
£10 pounds |
| Pony |
£25 |
| Monkey |
£500 |
| Plum |
£100,000 |
An 1817 sovereign
An 1817 half sovereign
Jim Gillogly
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