George III (1760-1820) Read about George III

 

 

Silver

 

Shilling

 

WG-7302:  1787 George III Silver Shilling.  With semee of hearts, en medaille die orientation, Spink 3746.  Sometimes referred to as “The King’s Shilling” because after George II issued his last shilling of 1758 and before George III issued his “Last” coinage shilling of 1816, this 1787 was literally the only new shilling in town.  When conscripts were offered the King’s shilling to sign onboard a ship, it would invariably have been one of these that they received to bind the deal.  £98

 

 

 

Maundy

 

WG-6972:  1776 George III Silver Penny.  Spink 3759.  Beautifully toned, high grade and the key date for US collectors.  £125

 

WG-6025:  1779 George III Silver Penny.  ESC 2358.  £59

 

WG-6026:  1781 George III Silver Penny.  ESC 2360.  £65

 

 

 

Copper etc

 

Cartwheel Twopences

 

WG-7288:  1797 George III Large Copper Cartwheel Twopence.  Second issue, Soho mint, Spink 3776.  Nice grade.  £85

 

 

 

Halfpennies

 

WG-8106:  1774 George III Halfpenny Error - you'll not find another like this one!  First issue, Tower (London) mint although actually not as this is a contemporary counterfeit, or Non-Regal as some like to call them.  The dies for this coin were of decent quality, as was the metal and the amount of metal used - typically, these contemporary counterfeits were at least 50% underweight and with less than pure copper.  That's how they made their money - many halfpennies that were not worth a halfpenny in metal (or indeed, not even worth a farthing in a lot of cases) passed into circulation as halfpennies brings in a lot of money.  This coin weighs 8.36 so really, only about a gram or so underweight, which is negligible.  The dies would have required someone with skill, the right equipment, and time to make.  That doesn't sound like a good business model for your average get-rich-quick late 1700's counterfeiter.  There is some speculation that Tower Mint employees were moonlighting at the mint itself, churning these counterfeits out, as we do see these high execution, good weight and metal contemporary counterfeits turn up every so often - perhaps the official dies were securely locked away but all the other equipment was there for the using?  All that is very interesting but the really exciting thing about this coin, the elephant in the room, is the spectacular misstrike.  The blank, or planchet, has been correctly struck by the obverse and reverse dies at the correct 180 degree die rotation (your average counterfeiter paid little attention to die rotation so another indication that something different was going on here) but before the coin was able to fall into the box containing finished coins, it had been caught by the dies and struck a second time, being rotated in the process by 90 degrees, and only the bottom 25% of the coin struck again.  Once again, this second strike was at the correct 90 degree die rotation.  The result is what you see in the image.  That much is clear but it is not the full story: if you look carefully under the date, you'll observe an inverted or retrograde and incuse BRI for BRITANNIA, meaning that this coin was actually a brockage - a previous coin retained in error in the die meaning that when the this blank came along, that trapped coin acted as the die, hence the reverse and incuse nature of the coin struck by that coin.  There are other such indicators of a brockage on both sides of this coin.  These misstrikes do very occasionally happen - even in those days there was enough quality control to notice and pull out something as obvious as this coin - but to have one escape quality control and to have the date present is extremely rare, not to mention desirable.  This coin has everything going for it!  £495

 

WG-4980:  1807 George III Copper Halfpenny.  Better date, high grade, attractive colour.  £25

 

 

 

“Other”

 

WG-5303:  Large 1809 George III Jubilee Medal with Gilt Surround.  King left.  White metal (some lead alloy) commemorating the King’s 60th year on the thrown.  £85

 

WG-5304:  Large 1809 George III Jubilee Medal with Gilt Surround.  King right.  White metal (some lead alloy) commemorating the King’s 60th year on the thrown.  £85