Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 edition. Excerpt: ...Four crowned or uncrowned shields in cross, as on coins of George I. and II.; the crowns in those instances where they do not surmount the shields, being placed in the angles between them. Later coinage: Crown, St. George and the Dragon within the mottoed garter, Half-crown, crowned shield of royal arms, within the garter, on which is the motto, Honi Soit, etc; quarterly, i and 4, England, 2, Scotland, 3, Ireland, Brunswick, etc., on an escutcheon surmounted by the electorate crown; the shield crowned; on another, round the garter, is the collar and badge of the order. Shillings, royal shield encircled by the garter, no legend; Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, and Penny, values, either inr. Iii. Ii. L, or in figures; one mintage, called wire-money, has the value in writing figures, all the lines of the same strength. Legend. Early: M. B. F. ET. H. REX. F. D. B. ET. L. D. S. R. I. A. T. Et. E. and date. Late: Britanniarvm Rex Fid Def or FIDEI DEFENSOR. During great scarcity of silver money in i797 Spanish dollars and half-dollars were countermarked with a small punch of the king's head and put into circulation as current coin of the value of Us. gd. This stamp having been counterfeited to a considerable extent, a different one was adopted in i804, but it in turn being much counterfeited, the whole dollar was re-stamped with a fresh octagonal device, the king's head, etc., on the obverse, and on the reverse a figure of Britannia within an oval, crowned with a mural crown, and having the words Bank Of England Five Shillings Dollar, i804. Bank of England tokens, value Six-shillings, Three-shillings, and other amounts, were also issued. Of these, and the Irish and Madras and other issues, I must forego particulars. Gold. Obverse, bust...
