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| The groat of ] was by Croker, and bore a left-facing bust of the King, with identical inscriptions but for the roman numeral II added after {{small|GEORGIUS}}. Though most denominations of coins transitioned in 1743 to a new portrait by ], the fact that the groat was infrequently-struck meant that it was kept for the groat, and was even issued in 1760, the year of George's death, even though the last of the Tanner-designed coins were struck in 1758.{{sfn|Lobel|p=555}} | The groat of ] was by Croker, and bore a left-facing bust of the King, with identical inscriptions but for the roman numeral II added after {{small|GEORGIUS}}. Though most denominations of coins transitioned in 1743 to a new portrait by ], the fact that the groat was infrequently-struck meant that it was kept for the groat, and was even issued in 1760, the year of George's death, even though the last of the Tanner-designed coins were struck in 1758.{{sfn|Lobel|p=555}} | ||
| The groat of ] bears similar inscriptions to that of his predecessor, with only the regnal number changed on the obverse, where there is a right-facing bust of the King. Infrequently struck during George's reign, his groat bears three different designs. The first, struck from 1763 to 1786, may have been by ], and saw slight modifications to the reverse in 1784 and 1786. The second, with a modified bust of King George and a narrow numeral 4 which has led it to be termed "wire money". This was only issued dated 1792; the issues for 1795 and 1800 are similar to the 1786 coins, though with a very different crown. The third, by ] in 1817, moved the date to the obverse and changed the legend on the reverse to {{small|BRITANNIAUM REX FID DEF}} ( ... King of the Britains, Defender of the Faith}. Later-date George III pieces are more likely to be found in better condition and are likely to have been presented at the Royal Maundy ceremony, as are all subsequent fourpences with a crowned 4, though some entered circulation after being presented to the Maundy recipients.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=555–556}} | |||
| The prospect of the introduction of a general circulation fourpence coin was raised in 1835, when the MP ] spoke in ] in favour of its introduction. His reasoning was that the coin was convenient for paying cab fares.<ref name="Leland"/><ref name="Brewer2001">{{cite book |author=Ebenezer Cobham Brewer |title=Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IgjAJazrBWwC&pg=PA613|date=1 January 2001 |publisher=Wordsworth Editions |isbn=978-1-84022-310-1 |page=613}}</ref><ref name="Room2001">{{cite book |author=Adrian Room |title=Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WNwengEACAAJ |year=2001 |publisher=Cassell |isbn=978-0-304-35873-1}}</ref> The coin was first introduced in 1836, but proved unpopular with cab drivers as they now simply received a fourpence as payment, whereas previously they would often receive a ] without the demand for change.<ref name="CarlisleWyon1837">{{cite book |author1=Nicholas Carlisle |author2=William Wyon |title=A memoir of the life and works of William Wyon |publisher=W. Nichol |url=https://archive.org/details/amemoirlifeandw00wyongoog |year=1837 |page=}}</ref> | The prospect of the introduction of a general circulation fourpence coin was raised in 1835, when the MP ] spoke in ] in favour of its introduction. His reasoning was that the coin was convenient for paying cab fares.<ref name="Leland"/><ref name="Brewer2001">{{cite book |author=Ebenezer Cobham Brewer |title=Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IgjAJazrBWwC&pg=PA613|date=1 January 2001 |publisher=Wordsworth Editions |isbn=978-1-84022-310-1 |page=613}}</ref><ref name="Room2001">{{cite book |author=Adrian Room |title=Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WNwengEACAAJ |year=2001 |publisher=Cassell |isbn=978-0-304-35873-1}}</ref> The coin was first introduced in 1836, but proved unpopular with cab drivers as they now simply received a fourpence as payment, whereas previously they would often receive a ] without the demand for change.<ref name="CarlisleWyon1837">{{cite book |author1=Nicholas Carlisle |author2=William Wyon |title=A memoir of the life and works of William Wyon |publisher=W. Nichol |url=https://archive.org/details/amemoirlifeandw00wyongoog |year=1837 |page=}}</ref> | ||
Revision as of 15:47, 10 June 2024
Former coin of the United Kingdom and other territoriesThis article is about the silver coin minted for general circulation. For the silver coin minted for Maundy Money, see Royal Maundy. For other coins called "groat", see Groat (coin).
| United Kingdom | |
| Value | 4d sterling |
|---|---|
| Mass | 1.9 g |
| Diameter | 16 mm |
| Thickness | 1 mm |
| Edge | Milled |
| Composition | 92.5% Ag |
| Years of minting | 1836–1855, 1888 |
| Obverse | |
 | |
| Design | Profile of the monarch (Victoria design shown) |
| Designer | Joseph Boehm |
| Design date | 1888 |
| Reverse | |
 | |
| Design | Britannia |
| Designer | William Wyon |
| Design date | 1836 |
The British fourpence coin, sometimes known as a groat (from Dutch grootpennig = "big penny") or fourpenny bit, was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1/60 of one pound or 1/3 of one shilling. The coin was also known as a joey after the MP Joseph Hume, who spoke in favour of its introduction. It was a revival of the pre-Union coin.
Before Decimal Day in 1971, sterling used the Carolingian monetary system, under which the largest unit was a pound divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.
Early issues
The fourpence, or groat (from the French gros or Italian grosso, meaning great or thick) was first struck by Edward I as part of his currency reforms, as a larger silver coin that could be used in foreign trade. Whilst it proved unpopular as merchants preferred payment in silver pennies (the groat weighed less than four of the smaller coins), it was successfully reintroduced by Edward III and was struck by most monarchs thereafter until Queen Victoria.
Beginning with the restoration of Charles II in 1660, English coins were generally struck by machine, including the groat. Since, from 1689, groats bore a crowned numeral 4 similar to that still used on the Maundy money fourpence, groats are often referred to as Maundy fourpences, or sold in sets of four with the silver penny, twopence and threepence of that year. This is done despite the fact that the groat was never used as part of the Royal Maundy charity distributions until the reign of George III. Prior to that, only the silver penny and the occasional twopence were used.
The first groats following the union of England and Scotland in 1707 were struck the following year, continuing the series depicting Queen Anne which had begun in 1703. They were designed by either John Croker or his assistant Samuel Bull, and depicted a left-facing bust of Anne on the obverse with the inscription ANNA DEI GRATIA (Anne by the grace of God ...) and on the reverse a crowned numeral 4, the date, and the inscription MAG BR FR ET HIB REG (short for "... of Great Britain, France and Ireland the Queen"). The coin was struck again in 1709, and then with a larger 4 in 1710 and 1713.
Croker and/or Bull designed the groat for George I, though Johann Rudolph Ochs Snr may have designed the reverse. These were struck dated 1717, 1721, 1723 and 1727 with the obverse bearing a head of King George facing right with the inscription GEORGIUS DEI GRA (short for "George by the Grace of God ...). The reverse depicted the crowned 4 with the date and the inscription MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX (short for "of Great Britain France and Ireland the King). Unlike the larger silver coins, the groat made no reference to George's Hanoverian titles, though there probably was not room for them.
The groat of George II was by Croker, and bore a left-facing bust of the King, with identical inscriptions but for the roman numeral II added after GEORGIUS. Though most denominations of coins transitioned in 1743 to a new portrait by John Sigismund Tanner, the fact that the groat was infrequently-struck meant that it was kept for the groat, and was even issued in 1760, the year of George's death, even though the last of the Tanner-designed coins were struck in 1758.
The groat of George III bears similar inscriptions to that of his predecessor, with only the regnal number changed on the obverse, where there is a right-facing bust of the King. Infrequently struck during George's reign, his groat bears three different designs. The first, struck from 1763 to 1786, may have been by Richard Yeo, and saw slight modifications to the reverse in 1784 and 1786. The second, with a modified bust of King George and a narrow numeral 4 which has led it to be termed "wire money". This was only issued dated 1792; the issues for 1795 and 1800 are similar to the 1786 coins, though with a very different crown. The third, by Benedetto Pistrucci in 1817, moved the date to the obverse and changed the legend on the reverse to BRITANNIAUM REX FID DEF ( ... King of the Britains, Defender of the Faith}. Later-date George III pieces are more likely to be found in better condition and are likely to have been presented at the Royal Maundy ceremony, as are all subsequent fourpences with a crowned 4, though some entered circulation after being presented to the Maundy recipients.
The prospect of the introduction of a general circulation fourpence coin was raised in 1835, when the MP Joseph Hume spoke in Parliament in favour of its introduction. His reasoning was that the coin was convenient for paying cab fares. The coin was first introduced in 1836, but proved unpopular with cab drivers as they now simply received a fourpence as payment, whereas previously they would often receive a sixpence without the demand for change.
The coin weighed 2⁄33 troy ounce (1.9 g).
The threepence was introduced in 1845 to "afford additional convenience for the purpose of change". This new coin proved much more popular than the fourpence, and by the early 1850s it was decided there was no need for both coins. The final regular issue of groats was made in 1855, although proofs were minted in 1857 and 1862. In 1888 a special request was made for a colonial variety to be minted for use in British Guiana and the British West Indies. The groat remained in circulation in British Guiana until that territory adopted the decimal system in 1955.
Design
The original reverse of the 1836 version of the coin, designed by William Wyon, is a seated Britannia, holding a trident, with the words FOUR PENCE to each side. Two different obverses were used during the mintage of this coin. Wyon's likeness of William IV appeared in 1836 and 1837, surrounded by the inscription GULIELMUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D. Groats bearing the likeness of Victoria were issued from late 1837 onwards, also designed by Wyon, with the inscription VICTORIA D G BRITANNIAR REGINA F D. Those fourpences minted in 1888 bear the "jubilee head" of Victoria, designed by Joseph Boehm – the reverse is unchanged.
There also exists a pattern coin, dated 1836, which bears the same obverse as the William IV issue coins, but has a different reverse, designed by William Wyon, which has the inscription 4p instead of the words FOUR PENCE.
Mintages
| William IV |
|---|
|
| Victoria |
|---|
|
References
- David L. Gold (2009). Studies in Etymology and Etiology: With Emphasis on Germanic, Jewish, Romance and Slavic Languages. Universidad de Alicante. p. 177. ISBN 978-84-7908-517-9.
- ^ C.G. Leland (1897). A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant. Рипол Классик. p. 121. ISBN 978-5-87681-228-5.
- Lobel, p. 259. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLobel (help)
- Lobel, p. 553. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLobel (help)
- Lobel, pp. 418, 554. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLobel (help)
- Lobel, pp. 554–555. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLobel (help)
- Lobel, p. 555. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLobel (help)
- Lobel, pp. 555–556. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLobel (help)
- Ebenezer Cobham Brewer (1 January 2001). Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Wordsworth Editions. p. 613. ISBN 978-1-84022-310-1.
- Adrian Room (2001). Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable. Cassell. ISBN 978-0-304-35873-1.
- ^ Nicholas Carlisle; William Wyon (1837). A memoir of the life and works of William Wyon. W. Nichol. p. 111.
- Kindleberger, Charles P. (2005). A Financial History of Western Europe. Taylor & Francis. p. 60. ISBN 9780415378673.
- Christopher Edgar Challis (1992). A New History of the Royal Mint. Cambridge University Press. p. 487. ISBN 978-0-521-24026-0.
- George S. Cuhaj (29 November 2012). Standard Catalog of World Coins – 1801–1900. Krause Publications. p. 542. ISBN 978-1-4402-3085-1.
- ^ "William IV coins". Coin database. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Victoria coins". Coin database. Retrieved 20 May 2014.