PhotoEclectica: coin

Monday, 8 April 2024

The farthing

Recently I was wondering about British coins. Our current batch are, I think, a mixture of the good and the bad. One design that I find particularly unappealing features parts of heraldic figures - lions, harps etc - that mean little to the viewer who is unfamiliar with the whole from which the fragment is extracted. Another complaint I have is the relatively short duration of some of the designs. With that in mind I researched the eight new designs to be introduced in 2024 that feature various species of UK flora and fauna. I am pleased to say they look quite attractive.

The inclusion of two birds, the puffin and the capercaillie, reminded me of the only other coin to have had a bird on it - the farthing (a quarter of a penny in value) - featuring the wren. This was taken out of circulation on 1st January 1961. The farthing featured in the photographs is the sole, and quite battered, example in our collection of old British coins.

photo © T. Boughen Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

Friday, 10 March 2023

2d coin of 1797

The oldest coin we possess is a 2d (two pence) from 1797. It is particulary interesting because of the changes that were incorporated in it by the Mint. Until the C18 pennies were made of silver and there were relatively few in circulation. In 1797 the Soho Mint was charged with manufacturing 480 tonnes of copper pennies (1d) and 20 tonnes of copper twopences (2d). This they did using, for the first time ever, the steam power of Matthew Boulton.

The twopence coin weighed two ounces, and, with the penny, had the inscription punched into the rim rather than being raised - another first. The coins were designed by Conrad Kuchler. The obverse shows a laureated, right facing bust of George III with the inscription, "Georgius III D G Rex". The reverse has Britannia sitting on a rock (inscribed SOHO) facing left holding an olive branch and a trident. There is a shield and a distant ship. This is the first depiction of Britannia ruling the waves. Round the rim is the word Britannia and the date, 1797.