THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

THE COLLECTOR SERIES
strongly applies to the billon and copper, which are,
as a rule, wretchedly poor.
The House of Biutnswick-Luneburg, on its accession
in 1714, found the coinage of the realm established on
its modern basis in nearly every respect ; and in a
sketch of the subject which does not aspire to enter
into the documentary annals or technical details there
is less and less to be said. George I. struck all the
denominations of his predecessor, the halfpenny and
farthing becoming ordinarily current ; and the dump of
1717-18 is a well-executed piece. The only salient
numismatic features of the reign, besides the Irish and
American money, were the Elector and pattern guineas
of 1714 and 1727, the quarter-guinea, now issued for
the first time (1718), and the rather scarce silver pieces
marked W. C. C, for Welsh Copper Compan//. George
II. (1727-60) had two coinages, I he
Young and the
Old heads, the former engraved, like those of George I.,
by Croker, a German artist, the latter by Tanner. The
Young-head money ranged from 1728 to 1739, the Old-
head from 1739 to 1760; and there are modifications
of the second. The money of the earliest years is
scarce, particularly that of 1728-30. The coins with
Lima under the bust were made from gold captured
by British vessels at sea.
Considering its length, the Government of George
III., from 1760 to 1820, was not, from a monetary
point of view, prolific, yet to some extent it is
numismatically remarkable from the number of pat-
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