Do you know why some older coins of history had Crosses on their reverses? Religous beliefs were the main reason, but there was another reason other than religion! In many countries, societies and trading regions' coins were often cut into two pieces or four pieces providing near-instant small change. One such coin was the Anglo-Saxon Silver "Long Cross" Penny. The Cross was a guide for merchants and tax collectors to more easily cut the coins to produce half pennies or farthings (quarter-pennies). Here's a photo courtesy of Coin Archives: http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598410&AucID=435&Lot=314 The 1464 English Groat, being worth two Pennies, can be easily halved to produce two One-penny coins or quartered to produce four Half Penny coins. (photo courtesy of Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=576848&AucID=422&Lot=2910 Here's a French Gros Tournois which, when halved, yields two coins valued at 10 Sols each. If quartered it becomes four coins valued at 60 Deniers each: (photo courtesy Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=553630&AucID=398&Lot=856 Ireland got into the fray by copying the Anglo-Saxon Long Cross Penny: (courtesy of Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598479&AucID=435&Lot=383 Here's a Penny from circa 1300 when Edward Longshanks was the English King. He's the one William Wallace (the Scot) tried so hard tro depose: http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=596415&AucID=433&Lot=23350 Following are two Scottish "Long Cross" coins. The first coin is a second strike Penny (circa 1350) while the second coin is a Groat (circa 1385): Courtesy Coin Archives) http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582756&AucID=425&Lot=853 http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582758&AucID=425&Lot=855 Here's a German "Long Cross" sterling coin circa 1265: http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=565899&AucID=413&Lot=669 Guess what? Look at this next photo. It proves this trivia: (courtesy Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=566127&AucID=413&Lot=897 Lest you think only Half Pennies, Pennies, Farthings and Groats were quartered and halved here's a Silver Crown circa 1552: (Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=556616&AucID=402&Lot=303 Belgium struck this "Long Cross" Gros Tournois with year date MCCCLXXXXI (1391): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=533931&AucID=388&Lot=2352 Netherlands struck this "Long Cross" Stuiver in MCCCCLXXI (1371) at their Deventer Mint: (Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=534551&AucID=388&Lot=2972 Throughout Spanish America coins were minted with a "Cross" to allay the need to produce minor coinage. Here's a Silver 8 Reales from Potosi Mint (Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=40483&AucID=40&Lot=453 And here's a photo of half a Spanish American 8 Reales (Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148671&AucID=121&Lot=448 And here is a quarter-cut of a Spanish American Dollar (Coin Archives): http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148687&AucID=121&Lot=464 "Cross" (short and long) coins were not the only coins to be halved or quartered. Szechuan Rupees (Tibet Rupees) were, also, cut up for small change. The circulating coinage of Tibet consisted of mostly India Rupees, 1/2 Rupees, 1/4 Rupees, 1/8 Rupees, etc which were struck for trade between India and Tibet. Some Chinese politician decided that this was wrong. In 1905 a mint was constructed in Szechuan which produced between 25,500,000 and 27,500,000 Silver Rupees from 1905 through 1943. Because of world trade and the economy of China, the decimal coins disappeared and the amount of Szechuan Rupees in circulation had diminished to 2,000,000 in 1958. Another cause: During their circulation for 50 years, many Szechuan Rupees had continuously been collected by the Chinese government and melted down for their silver content. Szechuan Rupees were cut into 2 or 4 pieces, as Half Rupee and Quarter-Rupee coins during 1911, due to the insufficient supply of the low denomination coins. Cut coins were colloquially called 'Cho-tang' by the Tibetans or called "Tsai-K'ou T'sang-Yang" by the Han. Here's a photo of two different sets of Tibetan Rupee coins of which each set contains a 1/4 Rupee, 1/2 Rupee and a Rupee: http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=558772&AucID=403&Lot=1519 Let me know if you enjoyed this trivia... Clinker
Thank you Clinker! I did not now that crosses where used as a measuring gage to cut coins. Very informative! Lou
TheNoost Saws, Knives, etc. Some Oriental Merchants and other country's tax collectors had a special machinations to hold the coin and used a force-down blade similar to that of a paper cutter to cleanly cut the coins... Clinker
Don't forget that some coins showed the cross purely for aesthetic reasons: Theodesius II AE4 Cyzicus, 425-435 AD Pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust r. DN THEODOSIVS PF AVG cross in wreath SMKA in ex. RIC X 451
To Ardatirion Yes you are right, but to keep this "trivia" trivial, I only wanted to present one nonreligious reason for the crosses on voins. Clinker
