George III Copper Cartwheel Twopence, Second Coinage, 1797

Description

Denomination: Copper ‘Cartwheel’ twopence (2d)

Period: Hanoverian

Date: 1797

Origin: Soho mint. Birmingham

Condition: VF. edge with a few knocks. but otherwise in good condition for this coin

Obverse: Laureate and draped bust. right. legend incuse on raised rim

Reverse: Britannia seated. left. date below legend around. again on raised rim 

Size and Weight: 40mm. 57g

References: S3776

Features and Provenance: This is the largest coin that Britain ever produced. The reign of George III was to be the longest. at the time. of any British monarch and saw such notable events as: the French Revolution. the American War of Independence. and the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. 

George became king in 1760 at the age of 22. A pious man. he loathed corruption and sought. maybe rather naively. to rid the court and government of ‘bad men’. He later admitted defeat and concluded ‘We must call in bad men to govern bad men!’. His lapses into insanity in later life have now been attributed to porphyria. an imbalance in the body that poisons the nervous system. His last ten years were particularly sad. spending them isolated in a set of rooms in Windsor Castle. He died at the age of 82. in 1820. having been a much loved monarch by the people. if not his governments.

Condition Summary. This varies with the age of coin and there are grades in between

Uncirculated (U). As struck with no traces of wear

Extremely Fine (EF). Very slight traces of wear. all parts of legend etc present. visible and clear

Very Fine (VF). Some signs of wear on the higher parts of the relief. all parts of legend etc present. but maybe worn

Fine (F). Wear on the coin and parts of legend etc may be missing or not visible