I just received five British coins from a recent auction. The first one is this George I six pence. George I was German. He became king after Queen Anne died leaving no living heirs. He was the great grandson of James I. One of James' daughters married a German prince. George could not speak English well and had no desire to improve. He communicated in French and Latin. He spent most of his time as king in Germany. The office of British Prime Minister was created during this people so that most government functions could be run without him. When George came to England, he brought two of his mistresses with him. He had his wife imprisoned because she had cheated on him early in their marriage. His son, also named George, strongly opposed the treatment of his mother. George was not a popular king among the British because he showed little interest in them. When he died, he was buried in Germany, which was probably his preference.
Beautiful piece. Early milled sixpences seem to be tougher to find in general than shillings, but it really depends on the monarch. The South Sea Company issue is worth a discussion as well as it is generally the most common George I issue for sixpence and shillings. It was founded as a joint-stock company with the intention of trading slaves to Spanish lands in central and south America as well as Arctic whaling. The company's stock drastically rose in price due to speculation before crashing in 1720. Isaac Newton owned significant amount of SSC stock when the bubble burst. The company did continue to exist, and after discovery of large amounts of silver in Indonesia the SSC issue was struck.
What a nice coin and wonderful thread. I almost missed this. In years past, there was little interest at this site about the coinage of the late Stuarts / early Hanoverians (my primary historical interest). I think George I has been greatly underestimated. Remember, he was over 40 years of age before he was even considered in line to be King of England (which passed over more than fifty others with better hereditary claims). He didn't arrive in Britain to rule until he was over fifty. I think his inability to speak English has been exaggerated. He was not fluent, but he probably was highly functional in English. Speaking French and Latin, nevertheless, would have allowed him to converse with most of the educated elites throughout Europe. He came to Britain in his fifties to a distant and dreary kingdom as the first Hanoverian to rule over a rebellious people, many of whom (the Jacobites) were actively plotting to reinstate the usurped Stuarts. This is one of my visitors from the era. This is a medal that commemorates the Indemnity Act of 1717, which pardoned hundreds of Jacobites who rose in rebellion in 1715 against George I and the Hanoverian Succession. : Indemnity Act 1717 - Wikipedia Thanks for posting. Good stuff.
