WMID-D09A77: Post Medieval coin: 'Dollar' of George III, probable contemporary copy of a Spanish-American 8 Reales

Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
CC License:

Image use policy

Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).

COIN

Unique ID: WMID-D09A77

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

An incomplete milled probable contemporary copy of a silver Spanish 'dollar' or eight reales of Charles IV of Spain (AD 1788 to AD 1808).

Diameter: 39.3 mm
Thickness: 3.7 mm
Weight: 31.0 g

Due to a shortage in coinage during the late 1790s, a number of coins from South America and Spain were counterstruck with the portrait of George III from 1797 until about 1820. However this example does not bear the countermark and is made from copper alloy as opposed to silver, suggesting that it may be a contemopary copy. According to Walden, Timothy (2002), The Spanish Treasure Fleets, Pineapple Press Inc., p. 195, cited in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Boulton, these coins were extensively forged. This led to Boulton developing a process of obliterating the old coin design when re-issuing further counterstamped coins.

See SWYOR-7B5EA7 for another similar example on the PAS database.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1788
Date to: Circa AD 1808

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Thickness: 3.7 mm
Weight: 31 g
Diameter: 39.3 mm

Personal details

This information is restricted for your access level.

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Milled
Completeness: Incomplete

Coin data (numismatics)

Denomination: Dollar
Ruler/issuer: George III of the United Kingdom
Category: Modern
Type: Dollar: George III (S 3768)
Obverse description: Laureate bust facing right
Obverse inscription: CAROLVS IIII DEI GRATIA 177[ ]
Reverse description: Pillar type, Spanish American 8 Reales
Reverse inscription: HISPANIA ET IND REX[ ] M
Initial mark: not present
Die axis measurement: 12 o'clock
Degree of wear: Extremely worn: poor

Coin references

No coin references available.

Spatial metadata

Region: West Midlands (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Staffordshire (County)
District: Staffordshire Moorlands (District)
Parish or ward: Bagnall (Civil Parish)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: SJ9350
Four figure Latitude: 53.04721686
Four figure longitude: -2.10586742
1:25K map: SJ9350
1:10K map: SJ95SW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
Discovery circumstances: Found whilst searching with a metal detector

References cited

No references cited so far.

Similar objects

Find number: SWYOR-FB3863
Object type: COIN
Broadperiod: POST MEDIEVAL
A Milled Post-Medieval counterfeit silvered copper alloy coin; a contemporary copy of a silver Spanish 'dollar' or eight reales of Charles II…
Workflow: Awaiting validation

Find number: SWYOR-7B5EA7
Object type: COIN
Broadperiod: POST MEDIEVAL
A Milled Post-Medieval counterfeit silvered copper alloy coin; a contemporary copy of a silver Spanish 'dollar' or eight reales of Charles IV…
Workflow: Awaiting validation

Find number: NMGW-0ADB3E
Object type: COIN
Broadperiod: POST MEDIEVAL
A silver-plated copper alloy contemporary copy of a counterstamped Spanish Colonial (Mexico) 8 Reales coin (Dollar)&n…
Workflow: Awaiting validation

Timeline of associated dates

Report a mistake

Audit data

Recording Institution: WMID
Created: 10 years ago
Updated: 10 years ago

Other formats: this page is available as qrcode json xml geojson pdf rdf representations.