I've been studying both the history and coinage of Charles II and Restoration England. Here's an example of a Charles II silver penny from 1677 (Backwards G Variety): Question: Was this coin originally a Maundy piece? If so, was it commonly used in everyday coinage? Thanks ahead of time, guy
they were legal tender so could have circulated.sometimes you find worn examples.the types with reverse interlinked c,s are believed to be Maundy,but the small silver coins were included in the trial of the pyx which indicated currency issues---trial of the pyx still happens today just for ceremonial purposes each year a quantity of coinage is examined and passed as good by the lord of the treasury----in time gone by not all the coinage was the correct weight or metal content so something very unpleasant happened to the moneyers
A good day to day account is Pepys Diary, he mentions giving pennies to link boys and sixpences to boatmen and there are many mentions of money, down to a few pence paid for this and that. He takes a keen interest in the new machines and designs at the Royal Mint and in the withdrawal of the Commonwealth coinage and its re-coining. There are attempts to calculate the amount of coinage in existence and circulation and the premium for gold coins often crops up, he pays up to eighteen pence in the pound for gold to make his personal hoard more portable. I have read the diaries a couple of times and don't recall any specific answer to your question. From a practical point of view I can't see much use for such tiny silver pieces,they were valuable enough to matter but way too easy to lose. I'll have a pint of whatever the grader was drinking when he rated a coin that's VF at best, and somewhat damaged, as AU.
Thanks, you guys, for your responses. I agree that Pepys' diary really captures the everyday life of Restoration England...at least from a randy but loyal Royal administrator's perspective. The silver pennies seem too small and fragile for heavy use. On the other hand, there was nothing like a good farthing: Thank you, again, guy
An excellent historical novel about the period of Charles II is Kathleen Winsor's 1944 "Forever Amber". "My tail's for sale. Half-a-crown will lay me down!" Charles II Half Crown, 1663
Here's an additional contribution to the Charles II thread: This medal from 1665 is a little premature. It depicts Charles II as a triumphant Roman general [over the Dutch] watching a naval engagement from the shore. Unfortunately for England, there was the Dutch raid on the Medway in June 1667: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_on_the_Medway This new movie might touch on the subject. (I'll be waiting for the English translation, of course): guy
