Log in or Sign up
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Coin Chat
>
Trivia: Why the Cross?
>
Reply to Thread
Message:
<p>[QUOTE="Clinker, post: 445855, member: 6229"]<font size="5">Do you know why some older coins of history had Crosses on their reverses?</font></p><p><font size="5"> </font></p><p><font size="5">Religous beliefs were the main reason, but there was another reason other than religion!</font></p><p><font size="5"> </font></p><p><font size="5">In many countries, societies and trading regions' coins were often cut into two pieces or four pieces providing near-instant small change.</font></p><p><font size="5"> </font></p><p><font size="5">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).</font></p><p><font size="5"> </font></p><p><font size="5">Here's a photo courtesy of Coin Archives:</font></p><p><font size="5"><br /></font><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598410&AucID=435&Lot=314" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598410&AucID=435&Lot=314" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598410&AucID=435&Lot=314</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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.</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">(photo courtesy of Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=576848&AucID=422&Lot=2910" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=576848&AucID=422&Lot=2910" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=576848&AucID=422&Lot=2910</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">(photo courtesy Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=553630&AucID=398&Lot=856" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=553630&AucID=398&Lot=856" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=553630&AucID=398&Lot=856</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Ireland got into the fray by copying the Anglo-Saxon Long Cross Penny:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">(courtesy of Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598479&AucID=435&Lot=383" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598479&AucID=435&Lot=383" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598479&AucID=435&Lot=383</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=596415&AucID=433&Lot=23350" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=596415&AucID=433&Lot=23350" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=596415&AucID=433&Lot=23350</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Courtesy Coin Archives)</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582756&AucID=425&Lot=853" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582756&AucID=425&Lot=853" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582756&AucID=425&Lot=853</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582758&AucID=425&Lot=855" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582758&AucID=425&Lot=855" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582758&AucID=425&Lot=855</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Here's a German "Long Cross" sterling coin circa 1265:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=565899&AucID=413&Lot=669" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=565899&AucID=413&Lot=669" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=565899&AucID=413&Lot=669</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Guess what? Look at this next photo. It proves this trivia:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">(courtesy Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=566127&AucID=413&Lot=897" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=566127&AucID=413&Lot=897" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=566127&AucID=413&Lot=897</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Lest you think only Half Pennies, Pennies, Farthings and Groats were quartered and halved here's a Silver Crown circa 1552:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">(Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=556616&AucID=402&Lot=303" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=556616&AucID=402&Lot=303" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=556616&AucID=402&Lot=303</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Belgium struck this "Long Cross" Gros Tournois with year date MCCCLXXXXI (1391):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=533931&AucID=388&Lot=2352" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=533931&AucID=388&Lot=2352" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=533931&AucID=388&Lot=2352</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Netherlands struck this "Long Cross" Stuiver in MCCCCLXXI (1371) at their Deventer Mint:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">(Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=534551&AucID=388&Lot=2972" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=534551&AucID=388&Lot=2972" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=534551&AucID=388&Lot=2972</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=40483&AucID=40&Lot=453" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=40483&AucID=40&Lot=453" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=40483&AucID=40&Lot=453</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">And here's a photo of half a Spanish American 8 Reales (Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148671&AucID=121&Lot=448" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148671&AucID=121&Lot=448" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148671&AucID=121&Lot=448</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">And here is a quarter-cut of a Spanish American Dollar (Coin Archives):</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148687&AucID=121&Lot=464" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148687&AucID=121&Lot=464" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148687&AucID=121&Lot=464</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">"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. </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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.</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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.</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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.</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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. </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Cut coins were colloquially called '<b><i>Cho-tang' </i></b>by the Tibetans or called "<b><i>Tsai-K'ou T'sang-Yang</i></b>" by the Han.</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><br /></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">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:</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=558772&AucID=403&Lot=1519" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=558772&AucID=403&Lot=1519" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=558772&AucID=403&Lot=1519</a></font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Let me know if you enjoyed this trivia...</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5">Clinker</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="5"></font></font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Clinker, post: 445855, member: 6229"][SIZE=5]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: [/SIZE][FONT=Arial][SIZE=5] [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598410&AucID=435&Lot=314[/URL] 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): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=576848&AucID=422&Lot=2910[/URL] 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): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=553630&AucID=398&Lot=856[/URL] Ireland got into the fray by copying the Anglo-Saxon Long Cross Penny: (courtesy of Coin Archives): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=598479&AucID=435&Lot=383[/URL] 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: [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=596415&AucID=433&Lot=23350[/URL] 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) [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582756&AucID=425&Lot=853[/URL] [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=582758&AucID=425&Lot=855[/URL] Here's a German "Long Cross" sterling coin circa 1265: [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=565899&AucID=413&Lot=669[/URL] Guess what? Look at this next photo. It proves this trivia: (courtesy Coin Archives): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=566127&AucID=413&Lot=897[/URL] Lest you think only Half Pennies, Pennies, Farthings and Groats were quartered and halved here's a Silver Crown circa 1552: (Coin Archives): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=556616&AucID=402&Lot=303[/URL] Belgium struck this "Long Cross" Gros Tournois with year date MCCCLXXXXI (1391): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=533931&AucID=388&Lot=2352[/URL] Netherlands struck this "Long Cross" Stuiver in MCCCCLXXI (1371) at their Deventer Mint: (Coin Archives): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=534551&AucID=388&Lot=2972[/URL] 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): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=40483&AucID=40&Lot=453[/URL] And here's a photo of half a Spanish American 8 Reales (Coin Archives): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148671&AucID=121&Lot=448[/URL] And here is a quarter-cut of a Spanish American Dollar (Coin Archives): [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=148687&AucID=121&Lot=464[/URL] "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 '[B][I]Cho-tang' [/I][/B][I][/I]by the Tibetans or called "[B][I]Tsai-K'ou T'sang-Yang[/I][/B][I][/I]" 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: [URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=558772&AucID=403&Lot=1519[/URL] Let me know if you enjoyed this trivia... Clinker [/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
Your name or email address:
Do you already have an account?
No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?
Stay logged in
Coin Talk
Home
Forums
>
Coin Forums
>
Coin Chat
>
Trivia: Why the Cross?
>
Home
Home
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Activity
Recent Posts
Forums
Forums
Quick Links
Search Forums
Recent Posts
Competitions
Competitions
Quick Links
Competition Index
Rules, Terms & Conditions
Gallery
Gallery
Quick Links
Search Media
New Media
Showcase
Showcase
Quick Links
Search Items
Most Active Members
New Items
Directory
Directory
Quick Links
Directory Home
New Listings
Members
Members
Quick Links
Notable Members
Current Visitors
Recent Activity
New Profile Posts
Sponsors
Menu
Search
Search titles only
Posted by Member:
Separate names with a comma.
Newer Than:
Search this thread only
Search this forum only
Display results as threads
Useful Searches
Recent Posts
More...