Rights Holder: Royal Institution of Cornwall
CC License:
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
Unique ID: CORN-8058A6
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Copper alloy counter of a spade half-guinea of George III, but produced many years after the half-guinea became obsolete, even though it is dated to 1788 on the reverse, this is an arbitrary date. There was a revival later in the 19th century, during Victoria's reign, because the counters could not be confused with the coins that were legal tender at the time. The imitation is quite crude and the counter is worn and corroded so that it is difficult to read the reverse legend, but it appears to be the common legend: IN MEMORY OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS, rather than the name and address of a manufacturer.
Besly (1997) illustrates a similar example on page 44, Fig.120, which is also dated 1788 on the reverse, under the spade shield, but was made in the period from 1860 to 1910.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: MODERN
Date from: Circa AD 1860
Date to: Circa AD 1910
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 1 mm
Weight: 1.69 g
Diameter: 21 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 15th February 2014
This information is restricted for your access level.
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Complete
Class: English
Group: Contemporary copies
Denomination: Jetton
Obverse description: laureate head facing right
Obverse inscription: GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA
Reverse description: crown over spade shield
Reverse inscription: IN MEMORY OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS / 1788
Die axis measurement: 12 o'clock
Degree of wear: Very worn: fair
4 Figure: SX5078
Four figure Latitude: 50.58241981
Four figure longitude: -4.12010802
1:25K map: SX5078
1:10K map: SX58NW
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Besly, E. | 1997 | Loose Change: A guide to common coins and medals | Cardiff | National Museums Wales Books | 44, Fig.120 |