Great Britain SOHO George III 1797 2 Pence 41 mm NGC MS64+ BN RARE KM# 619 (35)

Great Britain SOHO 

George III (1760-1820)

Copper 1797 2 Pence 41 mm 

GRADED NGC MS64+ BN

Mintage-722,000

 NICE TONED 

RARE IN HIGH GRADE

  KM# 619 

Obverse: Laureate and draped portrait of
King George III right, legend around on raised rim.



Reverse: Seated figure of Britannia facing left, trident in left hand, olive
branch in raised right hand, shield bearing Union flag resting on left, sea
behind with ship on left, legend above and date below on raised rim.
  

The largest regal coin to circulate in Britain, these pieces
were produced by Matthew Bouton using a steam powered press at the Soho mint in
Birmingham in 1797.

 

 From 1770 until the end of the 18th century the practice of melting down
the official copper coins and making lightweight forgeries had become so
widespread that it prompted industrialist Matthew Boulton to offer a potential
solution. He proposed that each coin should actually be made to contain its
value in copper (two ounces avoirdupois), that the quality should be improved by
using a retaining collar during striking (to give a perfectly round coin) and by
designing the coins with thick raised borders to prevent them wearing so easily.
  

YOU WILL RECEIVED THE SAME COIN AS PICTURED.