![]() Even during the Civil Wars (1642-48), Parliament – which was in control of London and therefore also of the Tower Mint - had continued to strike coins in the traditional style as long as the outcome of the war was uncertain. Prior to this all coins had been issued in the monarch’s name and contained his or her image. It is not surprising that the radically new form of government ushered in so bloodily with the end of the monarchy in 1649 should have caused an upheaval in another enduring aspect of national identity – the coinage. They have been found in small numbers all over Wales, from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire to Cwm in Flintshire, and in various states of wear including one or two which were later reused for other purposes. In the end this uncertain Commonwealth period was to last only eleven years as the monarchy was restored in 1660, but the highly distinctive coins minted during this short stretch of time are sometimes unearthed by metal detectorists in Wales and reported via the Portable Antiquities Scheme. Little wonder people living at the time called it ‘a world turned upside down.’ Three years earlier, in 1646, Parliament had rid the Church of England of its bishops, and when the House of Lords was also abolished in March 1649, virtually the entire, centuries-old, basis of government in Britain had disappeared, seemingly for good. University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia.Portrait of King Charles I On the bitterly cold morning of 30 January 1649, following a long and brutal civil war between Crown and Parliament, King Charles I was beheaded in London and the monarchy was abolished. A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America. To view this coin in better detail, visit the National Park Service Museum Collection Web Catalog: British Half Pennyįor more on the history of the Britannia symbol on British coins visit the Royal Mint: Britannia on British Coins. Britannia is still a significant symbol of Great Britain and is depicted on British coins today. The lettering that encircles her profile spells "BRITANNIA". The symbol includes the image of a woman holding a spear and olive branch with a shield leaning against her skirt on the right. The image was a legacy of Roman coins and was revived during a period in which Great Britain's naval power was being tested by France and other countries (Royal Mint). This symbol first appeared on British copper coins in 1672 during the reign of King Charles II. On the back of the coin (left) the design of the woman is the classic Britannia symbol. REX" encircling the top of his profile.The face of the coin (right) depicts King George I facing right with the lettering "GEORGIVUS ![]() ![]() Consequently, bartering and trade on credit were common practices at Fort Stanwix and in the surround communities. Coins were scarce in the colonies, and even less common at Fort Stanwix than within urban settings like Albany, New York (Heldman 1980: 95-96 Hume 1969: 167-68). ![]() Just as happens today, the British or American person to whom this coin belonged would have exchanged it several times and it would have stayed in the exchange system for decades. This British half-pence bears the date 1723. When archeologists found this British half-pence (or half-penny), it was located in the remnants of a wood lined cellar of the British Barracks of Fort Stanwix.
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