The Largest of the LargeBy StujoeThe year 1797 brought a large change to British coinage. Prior to 1797, British Pennies were struck in silver harking back to their Roman Denarius lineage. Small, high quality, silver British pennies had been minted on and off for many centuries. These coins were a staple of the British monetary system of the time.
Under the reign of George III, however, a change would come to the British Penny - a very large change, indeed. In 1797, the copper penny was introduced. Weighing in at one ounce– its full intrinsic value - it was a very large coin especially for its small denomination. At one ounce and with a diameter of 36 mm (approx 1.4 inches), it was just slightly smaller and lighter than a US Silver Dollar. The large size of these new coins soon earned them the nickname of Cartwheel Pennies. The weight of the coin, being exactly once ounce, also prompted its use as a convenient unit of measurement – often as a kitchen weight.
Matthew Boulton and James Watt, two of the most famous British coiners ever, minted the new coin at their Soho Mint using machine presses. Their skill and machinery resulted in a high quality coin typical of their professional work. The design is somewhat simple, with little extra ornamention, but it is very well executed.
The obverse of the coin, as is standard with British coins, features a bust of the current monarch - King George III. This obverse design is a rather simple one with the monarch shown wearing a wreath around his head and dressed in a Roman style garment. No other main features ornament the main obverse design giving the coin a rather understated, but certainly imperial, look and feel.
For the reverse design a representation of Britannia, the allegorical figure of Britain, was chosen. Britannia, in this design, is shown seated, facing left. She is holding a trident, representing British naval power, in her left hand and an olive branch, representing peace, in her right. A shield ornamented with the Cross of St George and the Scottish Cross of St Andrew – a precursor to the famous Union Jack - is shown resting against her on the left side. Britannia is gazing out over the ocean with a ship shown sailing in the distance. This was not the first use of a Seated Britannia design on British coinage However, it was a design that would be continued on British pennies up through decimalization in 1970.
The rim of the coin is quite distinct, especially for its time. It is large and raised above the fields. The lettering on the rim was also incuse – stamped into the coin – rather than being raised above the design as is typically seen. The obverse lettering is: GEORGIOUS III . D : G . REX. This translates to George III, By the Grace of God, King. The reverse simply features: BRITTANIA and the date of 1797.
The 1797 penny was issued for several years with the date remaining the same. In 1806, the British copper penny was redesigned to a smaller size and weight. This reduction in size was to be continued through latter years. From a single example to collecting by the many different design varieties, the history and uniqueness of the 1797 British penny makes it an interesting addition to any coin collection
Sources:
http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/coins.html
http://24carat.co.uk/
