The date has worn off I think? Is there help out there. One of my Cubs ( James ) is doing his collectors badge ( bless ) This is the last one to categorise ( stumped me too ) XX Helen
Here ya go: apparently a number of dates: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Copper-1797...886559?hash=item3d23ef3ddf:g:IuAAAOSwFc5XwIYG
I'm pretty sure they're all dated 1797 even though they were made for multiple years. I have one of the 2 Penny ones, it's like holding a hockey puck!
They were minted until 1805-06 when the newer designs that were also a bit smaller came out. They were referred to at the time as "ounce" pennies because they weighed an ounce. In "Small Change in Scotland" there is a discussion on a coin survey done in N. England in the early 1840s - the 1797 pennies and tuppence still made up 35-40% of the circulating coinage then. These coins were also prized for another more macabre practice of placing them on the eyes of the dead, ostensibly to keep eyes closed and also pay the passage across the River Styx. It is likely they circulated into the early 1860s when the much lighter "bun" head pennies were released into circulation.
Oh Boy, just got these recently and now get to show them off. One pence and tuppence. One ounce and two ounce...28.1 and 56.2 g. Hmmm, Av ounces, was the Troy weight system in use then or did they just not classify copper as a precious metal?
Corr Blimey mate, us Brits go everywhere ( looking for a nice cuppa rosy lee ) Is the size/weight the only way of knowing the denomination ?? Thanks xx
minted in birmingham at the soho mint by matthew boulton on the new invertion the steam engine-they were used by shop keepers as weights -penny one ounce twopence two ounces,all dated 1797,the minting process did not work as well as expected so it took a few years to finish the contract,interesting bit of numismatic history
As large as the pennies and tuppence were, there were tokens minted by Matthew Boulton for the Birmingham Workhouse in 1813 that tariffed at threepence(weighed about 2.5 oz) and sixpence(weighed 5 oz). The threepence were struck for general circulation in Birmingham, but the tanners being more of a hockey puck size were impractical for striking in quantity and only exist as patterns. I have a few of the threepence and really really want the sixpence. The threepence was the largest coin/token that ever really circulated in Great Britain.
Thank you for that Very interesting. If I ever find a "Tanner" I'll let you know. Do you know what happened to the SOHO Birmingham Mint ? xx
no longer there today-they did a dig on tv a while ago,found the foundations and a few blanks.now under gardens and the road--interesting programme the mint was very large,but did not really work.
That's a long a fascinating story. I'd have to review it before I could provide a synopsis here, but if you are interested get a copy of The Soho Mint and the Industrialization of Money by Richard Doty.