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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;johnmilton, post: 8543400, member: 101855&quot;]Part 2</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>“Two Kings but not a crown”</u></b></p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; During its usual course of operations, the Bank of England had taken in large numbers of silver dollar sized coins. More coins had been taken from the Spanish when they were at war with England. These pieces were mostly Spanish portrait style eight reale and some four reale coins, mostly featuring the Spanish King, Charles IIII. The bank also had some Pillar Dollars, a few French Ecus, Italian Scudi and ever a small number of United States Bust Type silver dollars. In 1797, bank counterstamped the dollar sized pieces&nbsp; with a small oval punch with the portrait of King George III. These counterstamps had been used to stamp hallmarks on silverware after taxes on those pieces had been paid.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; In 1804, the bank commissioned the Soho Mint to use a larger octagonal punch with a portrait of King George that was taken from the Maundy penny. Counterfeits had been made of the oval counterstamps, and the intent was to combat that problem with the octagonal punches that had more complex designs. The octagonal punch pieces are scarcer than the coins with oval punch.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; These coins were initially valued at 4 shillings and 9 pence. This prompted some naysayers to quip, “Two kings, but not a crown” since a crown, which had been of a similar size, was worth 5 shillings. In 1804, the value of these piece was raised to 5 shillings. Those who took a dimmer view of these coins quipped, “The bank to get its coins to pass, stamped the head of a fool on the neck of an ass.” These coins were very unpopular.</p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; In 1804, the Soho Mint, which had introduced the concept of steam driven coin presses, began to strike silver dollars for the Bank of England. Instead of melting the Spanish coins, the mint overstruck them, leaving visible undertype on some pieces. British silver dollars, which have a visible date from the host coin, are worth a premium. Like the counterstamped pieces, these coins were valued at five shillings. The Soho Mint continued to produce 1804 dated British dollars until 1811.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1509206[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Counterstamped Spanish Dollar - Small Punch 1797</i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1509207[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Counterstamped Spanish Dollar - Large Punch 1804</i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1509209[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><i>1800 Maundy Penny - The portrait of King George III that appeared on this piece was used for the 1804 counterstamped Dollars. </i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1509210[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><i>1804 Bank of England Dollar</i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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