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A Brief History Of British Coinage
By John Darling

When Did It Start.....
British coinage starts in the late 2d century BCE when Belgic and Gallic Celts traded with the Isles or fled Roman legions, bringing coins with them. The British Celt dynasties, including such tribes as the Atrebates, the Cantuvellauni and the Dobunni, issued a fascinating and beautiful series of coins for over a century, until Rome conquered Britain around 50 CE. These Celtic issues are among the most fascinating and beautiful of ancient coins and feature near Picasso-esque images, chiefly of horses and the human head - two of their chief icons. This is the time of chivalry and of King Arthur, who is thought to have actually existed and of Cunobelin, known to us as Cymbeline from Shakespeare's play of that name. He actually left coins with his name on them. Roman coins of Britain run from about 50-425 CE and will be found in the Roman section. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, coinage (and civiliation) became sketchy. Early in the 7th century CE, the Anglo-Saxon kings began to mint small coins in all metals. Their art was plain, in the style of Byzantine and was to stay that way for a good eight centuries. They don't call it the Dark Ages for nothing. Still, their work is historically fascinating and quite affordable compared to many series. Medieval British coins usually feature a king's facing bust obverse and a cross reverse with all manner of Latin legends inscribed around busts and between arms of crosses.

Its Greek To Me....
The Latin legends (see table below) are mysterious and poignant: "Nemo me impune lacessit" (No one provokes me with impunity), "Posui Deum adjutorem meum" (I have made God my helper), "Rosa sine spina" (A rose without thorns). Most obverse legends read monarch-authority (God)-title-lands: GEORGIVS D.G. (dei gratia, by the grace of God) GR BRIT FR ET HIB REX. Hib is Hibernia (Ireland). Kings' names in Latin are obtuse also. Carolus=Charles, Guliemvs=William, Iacobvs=James. Many British coins bear strange words like VIGO or LIMA, which signify conquests in which huge amounts of bullion were captured from the Spanish and turned into coin of the realm.

In The Beginning.....
"English" coinage begins, of course with the Norman Conquest in 1066. Eventually we see the denominations of penny (1d.-size of US dime), two-penny (2d.), three-penny, four-penny (groat), sixpence (6d.), shilling (12d.-size of US half dollar in Medieval times, size of US quarter in last few centuries) and later, florin (double shilling), halfcrown (size of US half-dollar) and crown (5 shillings, size of US silver dollar). Many coins are dated by a delightful series of mintmarks found in the reverse legend band. Castle, rose, star, pansy, portcullis (castle-gate) all pinpoint the coin to one particular time and place.

If I Had A Hammer....
Right up until the Restoration of Charles II in the 1660s, British coins are hand-hammered, just like the issues of ancient Greece and Rome. British hammered coins are surprisingly thin and were often "clipped" around the edges by those who wanted to accumulate valuable silver. For centuries, minting took place in the Tower of London itself, a fact that adds immense charm to a coin. It is not until Henry VII, c.1500 that we lose the childlike engravings of monarch heads and begin to see realistic representations of these historic characters. Henry VII really looks like Henry the VII and ditto Elizabeth I.

Press On....
With the advent of the steam press, coins assume their modern thickness and show extremenly lifelike portraits. At this same time, monarchs cease being shown with crowns and are displayed as Roman emperors, laureate, a wistful practice which continued until 1830. Copper coins are introduced with the Scottish Stuarts in the early 1600s, as is the crown. Maundy coins are a set of 1-2-3-4 penny coins issued for centuries for presentation by a monarch to the poor and are often saved and resold in their special box. It's quite a historic feeling to hold these and know their origins. Under George III, the man who lost America, we find large Spanish coins (8 and 4 reales) counterstamped with tiny images of the British king, who was running low on silver and decided to use the other guy's. Scotland and Ireland minted their own coins for many centuries but as long as they were under English rule, the coin bore the monarch's image obverse, while the reverse was allowed to carry harp (Ireland) or thistle (Scotland).

No, Not A Bird....
One of the most compelling coin series in numismatic history comes from Britain and is entirely non-governmental - the conder series. These are large bronze penny coins minted by merchants 1787-92 and featuring, in exquisite fine style, local legends, historical events, monarchs, battles, industrial scenes, Druids, almost anything you can imagine. They were circulated as currency in a period when regal coinage was scarce. Small token coinages were circulated in the 1600s and silver 6d and 12d in 1811-12. The 12-unit British coinage system, which heralds from the Greek (stater/didrachm divided into 12 obols), ended with decimalization in 1967.

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