Stamp_&_Coin_Mart_2016_01_

124 JANUARY 2016 http://www.stampandcoin.co.uk

Buying or selling

your Collection?

CONTACT US NOW FOR A FREE QUOTATION

Freephone UK: 0800 0852933 • Email: [email protected] • : thelondoncoincompany

For further information – visit

http://www.thelondoncoincompany.com

Specialists in the sale and purchase of all Modern British, World, Platinum,

Gold and Silver Coin and Sets.

If you are looking to buy or sell any gold or silver coins or would like to receive

our monthly stock list email us at [email protected]

Visit our comprehensive Website and On-Line shop which has been designed

for you the coin collector in mind.

4499 LCC Press Ad_60x190_2.indd 1 23/9/08 11:43:14

worth in a pocket weighed twelve

ounces and often burst seams.

In the next reign – George IV

(1820-1830) – the rising cost of

copper ensured that the weight of

coins reduced considerably, while the

appearance of pennies, halfpennies

and farthings also dramatically

altered. Britannia switched from a

left facing to a right facing pose on

reverses, an outlook she would not

alter again before decimalisation

swept pennies, halfpennies and

farthings clean away in the 1960s.

She also donned a war helmet

reminiscent of that worn by the

Ancient Greek warrior goddess,

Athena. Her left hand holding the

laurel branch lowered, while her right

now grasped her trident to move it

from an at-rest to a more belligerent

on-guard position. On the first issue

George IV farthing a lion crouched at

her feet; and all three denominations

had exergues occupied by the Union

emblem of the rose, shamrock and

thistle entwined. Additionally the

legend altered to ‘BRITANNIAR:

REG: FID: DEF:’ (King of [all]

the Britains). Nothing altered on

reverses of coppers in the next reign

• William IV (1830-1837); but a
  miniaturised version of the coppers
  reverse provided Britannia with an
  appearance on the silver groat (4d) of
  this reign in 1836/7. A similar silver
  groat with Britannia reverse was also
  issued during the first twenty years of
  the next reign.
  Victoria (1837-1901) occupied the
  throne for 64 years, with her copper
  and bronze issues attracting the
  attention of specialist collectors who
  seem to delight in spotting obscure
  differences on reverses. The majority
  are illustrated with large images in
  Spink’s Coins of England catalogue.
  Here I shall mention only the major
  developments which included the
  appearance of a lighthouse, said to be
  modelled on the Eddystone; and the
  re-appearance of a three-masted sailing
  ship not seen since the Cartwheel
  penny era. The floral emblems in
  exergue were replaced by the year
  date. On Old Head issues (1885-

1901) a larger and more vigorous

Britannia portrayal left no room for

the lighthouse and sailing ship.

Edward VII’s short reign 1901-

1910; and that of George V (1910-

1936) had no effect on bronze

coin reverses, though Britannia in

a standing pose on a ship’s prow

occupied the reverse of Edward VII’s

silver florins. The reign of George VI

(1936-1952) witnessed the return of

a lighthouse to accompany Britannia

on the pennies of this reign. At the

same time the small three-masted

ship was enlarged to take up the

entire reverse of the halfpenny; and a

wren took possession of the farthing’s

reverse. The same reverses were used

on Elizabeth II’s bronze coins from

1953, providing Britannia with her

final appearance on the generally

circulated penny of 1976. Her

manifestations on 50p coins we shall

leave to decimal coin collectors.

Thanks to TimeLine Auctions and to

the Wildwinds database for help with

illustrations for this feature.

Evasion money examples.

If challenged the

counterfeiter would claim

he was making copper

tokens, which was not a

crime at the time

The full weight one-

ounce Cartwheel penny

was warmly welcomed

by the poor despite

the burden of carrying

a shilling’s worth in a

pocket or purse

British coins

p122 Tails.indd 124 23/11/2015 14:49