George III 1760 - 1820

In 1806 the Soho Mint made the first copper pennies struck on a steam driven press. This design was struck for only two years 1806 and 1807. It had King George III as a Roman Emperor on one side and Britannia seated on the other side. These were the first copper coins to be struck as we know them today. Only struck for two years and available in two different grades Fine and Very Fine. They are now over 200 years old and the first of their type to be made.

In 1816 there was the Currency Reform Act, which allowed coins to be struck even without the Monarch’s permission. This was put into place because of King George III’s illness and the shortage of small change. From 1816 on, new designs, new weights new everything. These are the first of the new Sterling Silver Sixpences issued from 1816-1820. You have the bullhead of the King on one side and a crowned shield on the other side. Even in this grade supplies are limited.

These George III Sterling Silver 1787 Sixpences were only struck for circulation for just one year, 1787. What is even more interesting is that they were struck for the Bank of England to give out to their favoured clients around Christmas. You have King George III in an armoured bust on the obverse and four crowns and four shields on the reverse. Today the Royal Mint is charging £95 in Fine. The reverse in some ways is even more interesting than the obverse. As you have the arms of England, Ireland, Scotland, Hanover and France. The coins on offer are very high grade and becoming very difficult to find these days. They are available in Extremely Fine. Remember that this coin is now over 230 years old and in very high quality.

Most will know about the illness of King George III, but most don’t know that because of that illness the King would not allow a law to make smaller coins to be passed. This of course caused a lot of problems with day-to-day commerce; there just were not enough small coins around to make change. There are only two silver coins struck before the Currency Reform Act of 1816, that are readily available to collectors: the George III Sixpence and the Shilling of 1787. There is a simple but almost unbelievable reason for this. These coins were struck at the Royal Mint from silver delivered from the Bank of England. The Bank decided that they would need some new shiny coins to give out to their clients at Christmas. So only the Bank of England had these silver coins, and they only handed them out during the Christmas period, and only to their wealthy clients. So now you have the whole history! You have King George III dressed in what looks like Roman armour, and on the reverse the arms of Hanover and France as well as England, Scotland, and Ireland. Back in 1787, you had to be somehow important to have one of these Sixpences, important enough to do business directly with the Bank of England, and someone they wanted to treat. We have selected some very high-quality examples of this beautiful and very important historical coin for your collection.

Before the Currency Reform Act of 1816 it was almost impossible to find a sixpence or shilling to use. Yes they did make a couple of dates but they are very expensive and very difficult to find. So these 1787 Sixpence are the only coins that you can find for your collection. They are struck in Sterling Silver. George III is dressed as a Roman Emperor on this coin, which look exactly the same except for their size difference. The reverses show the coat of arms of England, Ireland, France and Scotland. This Sixpence is far more important and difficult to get than most collectors realise. It was actually struck for the Bank of England to give out to their good customers at Christmas. Add one to your collection while you can… They were also used in Australia and are known there as Proclamation coins.