Another coin crossed off the wish list: 1797 "Cartwheel" twopence

This type has been on my world coins wish list for quite a while, and while they aren't particularly rare or expensive, finding one that combined the best of both eye appeal and affordability took a bit of time.

For those unfamiliar with these coins, let me tell you they are absolutely monstrous in the hand. A full two ounces in weight, wide and thick - you could about knock someone out with one! It's not surprising that they proved too massive for public use - but they make fantastic collector's pieces!

GREAT BRITAIN
Time of George III, 1760-1820
CU “Cartwheel” Two Pence (40.9mm, 56.64g, 6h)
Dated 1797. Soho mint, Handsworth, England
Obverse: GEORGIUS III · D:G · REX. incuse on raised rim; laureate and draped bust of King George III right
Reverse: BRITANNIA. 1797 incuse on raised rim; seated figure of Britannia facing left, trident in left hand, olive branch in raised right hand, shield bearing Union flag resting on left, sea behind with ship on left, mint name below shield
References: Numista 1287
Mintage: 722,000
Dark brown patina with hints of iridescence.​

A significant shortage of copper coinage in late 18th century Britain led to the proliferation of privately manufactured token pennies as well as outright counterfeit coins. In order to alleviate this shortage, the British government authorized Matthew Boulton, a Birmingham inventor and engineer, to strike copper pennies and twopence coins at his state-of-the-art mint in Soho. Boulton introduced a number of innovations intended to discourage counterfeiting. The coin itself was made to contain its face value in copper – a full two ounces for the twopence pieces. The coins were struck using a retaining collar to maintain perfectly round edges. And finally, the distinctive thick raised rims were designed to minimize wear on the coins’ surfaces during circulation. All in all, some 722,000 twopence pieces were minted by Boulton; but the sheer size and weight of the coins made them too unwieldy for general use, and after a few years production was ceased.


Still enemies even after all these years. Who will blink first?



I think George W. has a significant weight disadvantage here!



I hope you enjoy! Feel free to post up your own Cartwheel coins, other massive coins, or any other comments you might care to make.

 

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One of my favorite coins.

 

Nice one!

 

Lovely. I don't have a great grasp when I just hear the weight or diameter of a coin. In turn, when I see the coin in real life, they are often much bigger or smaller than I thought. These coins are one example where that I didn't quite expect them to be so BIG!

 

Exactly. I'll bet a lot of people at the time had the same thought. They would have been visually arresting though, such a huge chunk of bright shiny copper.

 

Can anyone imagine carrying around a sack of coins like this? The diameter of the coin and size are unfathomable to say the least.
Can you also imagine digging one up in a field or on someone's backyard?

 

You'd need either a very strong sack, or a very stout pair of suspenders!