In the British Isles small denomination banknotes are quite unusual, a likely result of denominations of less than 20/- having been banned by Act of Parliament in 1775. The next 40 years did see a few provincial issues by banks and businesses with denominations ranging from 2d to 15/-. Based on Roger Outing’s catalogue (England and Wales, not counting skit notes) there are just 26 notes issued for 5/- or less and the number increases to 51 when notes for less than 20/- are added. This article was prompted by the acquisition of a One Shilling note issued by J. Wilkinson of St Clement St. in Ipswich in 1797 and brings together what I have found that has already been published. The conclusion is that the name John Wilkinson is a very challenging name to research and his address was in one of the poorest areas of the town.
Author: BNS Blog Coordinator
Some Insights into Medieval Die Production and Die Life – Part 2 – Die cutting – Dave Greenhalgh
This is the second installment of a series of articles detailing insights into medieval die production based on my own work.
Counterfeit Round Pound Coins (iv) More Unusual Issues – Gary Oddie
In this fourth instalment several more unusual issues are presented, essentially a postscript to the second note. The first three pieces follow on the theme of materials and the final three look at unusual die/mould manufacturing techniques used particularly for brass counterfeits that were not covered previously. Earlier articles….
Counterfeit Round Pound Coins (iii) Brass Issues – G. Oddie
In this third instalment, the brass counterfeit round pounds will be presented. The data is based on two collections totalling 2,063 pieces. Amongst these are varieties with incorrect edges, 76 different mules and two different metal types. It is observed that the number of counterfeits of a particular date bears a close relationship to the mintage of genuine coins of that date.
Counterfeit Round Pound Coins (ii) Unusual Issues – G. Oddie
In the first part of this series of notes, the lead alloy counterfeit round pound coins were introduced. In this note some of the more unusual counterfeits will be described. Ranging from resin coated lead cores to impossible dates to an overstrike on a foreign coin, the pieces demonstrate the ingenuity and skill of the counterfeiters. Though the coins were circulating only a few years ago, all of the pieces presented here are now very rare.
Counterfeit Round Pound Coins (i) Lead Alloy Issues – G. Oddie
Until the introduction of the dodecagonal bimetallic pound coin in March 2017, the round pounds had suffered extensively at the hands of counterfeiters. The problem began almost immediately after their introduction in 1983. Of the 1.5 billion or so round pounds in circulation in 2016 it was estimated that 3% were counterfeit. Now that the coins are no longer circulating, and ceased to be legal tender in October 2017, this might be a useful time to make some observations about these counterfeits before they are forgotten and lost. The counterfeits fall into several groups and in this first article I will make some brief observations about the lead alloy issues which were typically produced between 1983 and 2006.
Some Insights into Medieval Die Production and Die Life – Part 1 – D.I. Greenhalgh
This is the first part of an article describing the production of a viking style hammered coin die from scratch.
New Dies for Elizabeth I 1573 Acorn Initial Mark Threepence’s – Dave Greenhalgh
Since publication of The Galata Guide to Hammered and Milled Threepenny Pieces 1551 – 1662, published in 2016 by Galata, another two obverse dies, 1vi and 2ii, and one reverse die, Bvi, have come to light. These are briefly described here.
A Peculiar Series of Reverse Die Cutting Errors or Privy Marking of Edward I Class 1c Pennies
A short article speculating on the origin of a distinctive reverse error on Edward’s class 1c pennies. The author would be interested in hearing from anyone with further examples.
Jamaica ‘Type X’ Countermark – A Modern Fake – K. V. Eckardt
Again, along the recent series of Blog Posts regarding modern fakes readers should be made aware of a potentially convincing fake countermark on 8 Reale coins from Jamaica (c.1758-9). While the fabricators of these fake coins or countermarks may have some familiarity with the issues they are copying generally their knowledge is not as developed as an advanced collector/student and inevitably they get one or more aspects wrong which then is a marker for their handiwork. Numismatists must be vigilant and conduct a through investigation when a new variety makes it’s appearance in the marketplace. While legitimate contemporary material continues to be discovered, from time to time, the modern fabricator will use this route to their advantage in placing their modern material into the marketplace. The quality of modern fakes will undoubtedly improve, but I trust that ‘we’ shall be able to find that one little thing that they get wrong.
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