OLIVER CROMWELL ENGLISH COMMONWEALTH COINS

During the Great Rebellion against Charles 1, many necessity coins were issued. 

Siege pieces were issued when the King had to pay his troops at a time when the mint was controlled by the Puritan rebels.

Similar to the later Irish “gun-money,” these coins were well above the usual crude level of necessity money.

From 1649 to 1660, the period of the Commonwealth, England had no King.

The commonwealth coins are quite plain, in keeping with the familiar Puritan sternness and are probably the plainest of all English coins.

Portraits are absent, but the Puritan arms, featuring the St. George’s cross make an attractive and picturesque design.

The coins were sometimes known as Breeches Money because the conjoined shield on the reverse of the coins resembled a pair of breeches.

It is interesting to note also that this is the only time when the inscriptions on the English coins occur in English rather than Latin.

In 1656 and 1658 a series of coins consisting of the 50s., 20s. and 10s. in gold, the crown, half-crown and shilling in silver, bearing the portrait of Oliver Cromwell and his coat of arms was struck.

They all show the same basic design, the large ones having inscriptions and the smaller pieces from the half groat downwards being too small.

The main type is the shield of St. George on the obverse with the inscription “THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND”. 

The reverse depicts the conjoined shields of England and Ireland with the denomination above and the inscription “GOD WITH VS” and the date.

Shortly before the death of Cromwell, some beautiful patterns were struck with his portrait.

These beautiful coins were the work of the famous die sinker Thomas Simon, who was then chief engraver to the Royal Mint.

 Denominations

Commonwealth 1649-1660

1 Crown. Shield of St. George. Rev: Shields of St. George and Ireland

1 Half-crown

1 Shilling

6 Pence

2 Pence

1 Penny

1 Halfpenny. Shield of St. George. Rev: Shield of Ireland

Oliver Cromwell, Protector 1653-58

1 Crown. Laureate bust of Oliver Cromwell. Rev: Crowned shields

1 Half-crown

1 Shilling

    

KING GEORGE 111 GREAT BRITAIN 1797 CARTWHEEL PENNY

These coins get their nickname from their unusual size and weight and were only minted in 1797. During the early years of the reign of George 111 (1760-1820), copper became so expensive that very little of it went to the Mint. The cartwheel penny was the first coin to be issued in copper, measuring 35 mm in diameter, 3, 5 mm thick with a mass of 1 oz. (28,375 g). It should not be confused with the two pence coin. 

Reverse of Cartwheel penny

The two pence was a massive piece 41 mm in diameter, 5mm thick and weighing 2 ounces. The metallic content of these pieces corresponded with their value. James Watt worked with Matthew Boulton to develop the first steam-driven coin press at the private Soho mint in Birmingham.

The cartwheel penny was the first coin minted by this steam-driven press, producing 50 large or 150 small coins a minute.

These big pennies were called cartwheel pennies in an allusion to their exceptional size and the broad, raised rim on which the incused inscription was stamped.

On the obverse appears the inscription GEORGIUS 111 DG REX (George 111, by the grace of God, king). The reverse depicts the figure

Obverse of Cartwheel penny

of Britannia, seated on a rock by the sea, with a man o’ war in the background, holding the trident (symbol of supremacy at sea) of the British navy in her hand; the legend BRITANNIA 1797 is inscribed on it. The name of the mint (Soho) can be seen on the rock just above the second 7 of the date 1797. There is a letter K on the bust of George 111 on the lower left. This stands for Küchler, the designer. 

Reverse of Cartwheel two pence

CLEANING OF SALVAGED SILVER COINS

Coins recovered from being buried in the ground, or found on the sea bed, may present special problems due to chemical reactions between the metals and the salts present in earth or sea water. Different metals need different conservation methods. Brass coins are best cleaned with hydrochloric acid. A 100 per cent application of hydrochloric acid does not damage the brass provided that the coin is not left in the acid too long. Gold coins are mostly found in a perfect state of preservation. A dilute solution of hydrochloric acid will be sufficient. A bubbling reaction will be seen when the matrix and acid come into contact with each other. After a coin has been cleaned in acid, it is advisable to drop it into an alkaline solution afterwards to neutralize the acid and to prevent any further chemical reaction. Coins should be treated in an electrolytic solution to remove salts and other corrosive chemicals. The correct and effective cleaning of salvaged coins is a specialized science and no fixed method can be endorsed.

Obverse of 1652 Brabant ducatoon after being cleaned

Reverse

Salvaged silver coins will acquire a dark patina of silver oxide and are the most difficult to clean. The coins of the outer layer of a lump of silver will, naturally, not be so well preserved as those on the inside, most of the latter being in perfect condition.

 Even if it is found encased in matrix, it will still be coated with a thin layer of silver oxide. Care should be taken not damaging the surface of the coin. A silver coin removed from a layer of matrix must be dipped into a 100 per cent hydrochloric solution. A violent reaction will take place as the hydrochloric acid attacks the lime and iron oxide encrustations that make up a typical matrix deposit. The coin must be left to soak in the acid until the reaction has stopped. Wash thoroughly in a soap solution. The silver coin should now be clear of most oxides or matrix encrustations and details such as dates and mint marks will be visible. However, the silver oxide layer will still be present as a black coating barricading details on the article.

To remove this oxide the coin must be placed in an alkaline solution and an electric current of 12 volts passed through it. The coin must be attached to the negative terminal of a car battery and the positive terminal attached to a stainless steel plate. The coin and plate should be about 5 cm apart. When the current is switched on, a stream of bubbles will be visible. This dissolves the oxide and repels it. Large pieces of black oxide will be removed from the coin. The solution will soon be discolored. About 10 to 12 coins can be cleaned in a liter of solution, depending on their size. After a minute the coin must be removed from the electrolytic solution and washed in a strong detergent. It will now have a dull silver color. To restore the original luster of the piece, carefully clean it with a toothbrush and detergent. Coins cleaned in this way are still acceptable to coin collectors. 

WORLD COMMEMORATIVE COINS

Many commemoratives have been issued as crown-size coins, but other sizes have been used just as frequently. Commemoratives have designs and legends that mark important occasions, celebrate a historic anniversary, or glorify famous men. Philatelists describe issues by several countries celebrating the same event as omnibus issues.  Most modern commemoratives recall events of times past; they are frequently issued to celebrate the anniversary of some political or military achievement. The centennial of an event is perhaps most often celebrated.

 Events commemorated on recent coins are as far distant in time as 544 BC. Ceylon marked 2500 years of Buddhism in 1957 with a set of coins. Commemoratives also pay respect to famous men and mark events in the lives of people as well as of nations. 

Births, marriages and deaths, sporting events like the Olympic Games, anniversaries of the reign-all have been celebrated with coins. Besides statesmen and rulers, coins have recognized discoveries and explorers, builders, physicians and scientists, writers and musicians, religious leaders and saints. 

Countries with monarchs often strike commemorative coins to celebrate coronations, anniversaries of the reign, and occasionally to memorialize a whole dynasty. Private events of monarchs’ lives such as birthdays and weddings are also recorded on special commemorative coins. 

Silver wedding anniversary

Commemoratives are by no means limited to royalty. However, it is unusual for a commoner, no matter how deserving, to be memorialized during his lifetime. The honor went to General Douglas MacArthur who was portrayed on coins of the Philippines. The Churchill crown was issued in 1965 to commemorate the death in that year of Sir Winston Churchill. The crown has a milled edge and is unusual for a modern coin in that it does not bear any mark of value of denomination. Churchill was the first commoner to appear on a British coin since Cromwell. 

Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935

Reverse of King George Jubilee crown