218 



KNOWLEDGE 



[OoToiiKit 1, 1896. 



from the coinage of James I. These pieces were struck 

 at Oxford, the only mint besides tliat at Bristol from which 

 gold is certainly known to have been issued. 



The number of mints for silver was, however, consider- 

 able, the most important being the Tower. Among the 

 silver coins, particular notice is due to the crown, which 

 was designed at Oxford by the engraver llawlins, but 

 which probably never came into circulation (Fig. 5). The 

 work, though somewhat finicking, is above the average, 

 and the piece gains a special interest from the view of 

 Oxford, in which the tower of Magdalen and the spires of 

 St. Mary's]and another church, as well as the fortifications, 

 are clearly discernible. The signature R is in the left- 

 hand corner. The reverse bears the Declaration. Another 

 famous engraver of the time was Nicholas Briot, a 

 Frenchman, who was employed in England from 1G28, 

 and whose work is exceedingly neat, though wanting 

 in spirit. The angel here figured (i''ig. 0) is from his 

 hand. 



Several of the fortresses which were besieged in the 

 Civil Wars produced an irregular currency — known as 

 siege-pieces, or money of necessity — to supply the want of 

 ordinary money. These were supposed to be redeemable 

 at the close of the siege. The rudeness with which some 

 of them were executed is well shown by the piece of 

 Scarborough (Fig. 8), which is merely a piece of silver 

 jilate doubled up and stamped on one side with a repre- 

 sentation of the keep, and the value (ii- S. vi. D.), on the 

 other with OBS ScKrhorouijh 1645. The castle of 

 Pontefract held out after the death of Charles I., and we 

 find siege-pieces struck there in the name of Charles II. 



with the motto POST MORTEM PATRIS pro FILIO. 



The abuse of the farthing coinage instituted by James I. 

 led Charles, in 1635, to issue, no longer by contract but 

 under his own direct authority, a series of farthings, 

 differing from the old issue mainly in having the harp 

 replaced by a rose. These were known as " rose " or " royal 

 farthings," as opposed to the old " Harringtons." 



The Commonwealth coinage is somewhat uninteresting, 

 owing to the fact that the device on all denominations 

 except the halfpenny is the same, viz. : on the obverse, in 

 a wreath composed of branches of palm and laurel, a shield 

 bearing St. George's cross; on the reverse, two shields 

 bearing St. George's cross and the Irish harp. The 

 appearance of the reverse gave rise to the nickname 

 "breeches-money." The legends are in English: the 



COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND and GOD WITH VS. 

 The illustration (Fig. 7) is of a gold crown of 1650. The 

 halfpenny has simply shields with the cross of St. George 

 on one side and with the harp on the other, without 

 legend, date, or value. 



In 1656 and 1658 the mint produced several pieces in 

 gold and silver bearing a tine portrait of Oliver Cromwell. 

 These were executed by Thomas Simon with the mill and 

 screw, instead of with the hammer, which had been com- 

 monly used under the Stuarts. But these pieces were 

 never put into circulation, Cromwell probably fearing to 

 assert his personal power in this way. For the sake of the 

 portrait a pattern for the "broad" may be illustrated 

 (Fig. 9). 



Some of the gold and silver patterns made at this time 

 furnish the first instance of an inscription on the edge of 

 a coin. The motto, DECVS ET TVTAMEN, which now 

 protects, though hardly ornaments, the edge of our crown 

 pieces, first occurs on the five-guinea pieces of Charles II. 



A large number of patterns for copper coins were made 

 during the Commonwealth, but none appear to have been 

 put in circulation. Many of the patterns from this time 

 are made of two metals, as of brass with a copper 



centre, or a copper centre enclosed in a ring of bell-metal, 

 or with a brass obverse and a copper reverse. The Com- 

 monwealth copper patterns have all English legends, as : 



ENGLAND S FAHDIN ; reverse, FOR NECESSARY CHANGE. 



The llestoration brought about a return to the old types 

 and the old method of hammering. Before long, however 

 (1662), the mill was re-introduced, and this time for good. 



In order to establish the new process, Blondeau, who 

 had perfected it, was brought over from Paris. A ptevious 

 attempt to bring him over, as early as 161!), had failed, 

 owing to the jealousy of the English officials. He was 

 now appointed to strike coins from dies provided by Thomas 

 Simon, and by John Eoettier, a native of Antwerp. Simon 

 is undoubtedly the greatest of the engravers of English 

 coins, but Eoettier's patterns were preferred, and this caused 

 Simon to produce the splendid piece known as the "Petition 

 Crown " (Fig. 11). Round the edge runs the petition : 

 THOMAS SIMON MOST HVMBLY PRAYS YOVR MAJESTY 

 TO GtiMPARE THIS HIS TKYALL PIECE WITH THE 

 DVTCH AND IF MORE TRVLY DRAWN & EMBOSS'D 

 MOl^E GRACEFVLLY ORDER'D AND MORE AGCVHATELY 



ENGRAVEN TO RELEIVE HIM. For delicacy and finish, 

 both of design and of execution, this piece has never been 

 surpassed. 



The value of the gold coins struck with the hammer was 

 slightly raised in 1661, and the new gold pieces struck 

 from lloettier's dies with Blondeau's mill were made some- 

 what lighter in proportion. The twenty-shilling pieces 

 were struck at 131J|^ grains, and were known as Guineas, 

 to distinguish them from the older broads. The name is 

 due to the fact that most of the gold used for these coins 

 was brought from Guinea by the African Company. In 

 1670 the weight of the guinea was reduced to 129|J grains, 

 at which it subsequently remained. The specimen illus- 

 trated (Fig. 10) is one of the first struck. There were also 

 five-guinea, two-guinea, and half-guinea pieces. In this 

 reign Maundy money of groats, threepences, half-groats, 

 and pennies was first issued. 



In copper, in the reign of Charles II. we have issues of 

 halfpence and farthings ; there are also farthings in tin, 

 with a square stud of copper in the centre. The copper 

 coins were not issued for currency till 1672, of which date 

 is the halfpenny here illustrated (Fig. 12). On these coins 

 for the first time appears the figure of Britannia. It was 

 doubtless suggested by the design of some Eoman pieces, 

 but it is at the same time a portrait of the famous Duchess 

 of Richmond. 



We may pass over the next two reigns, only mentioning 

 that by the time of the sole reign of William III. the silver 

 coins had deteriorated so much in quality that the guinea 

 passed current for thirty shillings, i.e., fifty per cent, above 

 its nominal value. The guinea, however, fell to its old 

 value during William's reign, owing to the increased coinage 

 of silver. 



Copper (in both halfpence and farthings) was also coined 

 to such a great extent in this reign that no fresh issue was 

 necessary on the accession of Anne. Towards the end of 

 her reign several patterns for copper coins were made. 

 Among these is the Queen Anne's farthing (Fig. 14), with 

 regard to the rarity of which the most absurd errors are 

 prevalent. Of this coin, which, perhaps, was never actually 

 in circulation, there is no lack of specimens. Another 

 common error is to mistake copper or brass counters for 

 the farthing ; these were made in imitation of the silver 

 sixpence, and therefore bear on the reverse the four shields 

 instead of the figure of Britannia. The engraver of the 

 farthing, as of many other coins of this time, was Croker, 

 or Crocker, a German. The bust of Anne on her coinage 

 is draped; her modesty, it is said, having induced her to 

 alter the fashion of her predecessors. 



