George II., 1727 to 1760.
George II ascended the throne upon the death of his father in 1727. No change whatsoever took place in the denomination, size, value, or fineness of the silver money. The nature of the types, too, continued the same, and with similar symbols: we have roses and plumes, for West of England, and Welch silver; and we have LIMA under the king's bust upon those pieces which were struck from the silver which was captured, according to Mr. Pollet, by the Prince Frederic and Duke privateers. According to other authorities they were coined from the silver captured, by Lord Anson, in the great Acapulco galleon. The former tradition is the more probable, for Acapulco is the capital of Mexico, and Lima, which is the capital of Peru, would very inconsistently be inscribed upon Mexican silver. There are two strikingly distinct portraits of George II. upon his coinages, the young head and the old head; excepting however in the characteristics of age, the two heads may be described in the same words. The young head was engraved by Croker, the old head by Tanner. The profile is turned to the left; the hair long, laureate; the body invested with armour decorated upon the shoulder with a lion's head; a slight drapery hanging round the breast, GEORGIVS II. DEI GRATIA. On the reverse are shields similar to those of his father and similarly arranged; the legend consists of the initials of his British and German titles, M. B. F. ET H. REX. F. D. B. ET. L. D. S. R. I. A.T. ET. E. with the date of the year; the edge upon the larger pieces bearing the date of the reign.
Crowns: Of the young head there are, with roses and plumes on the reverse, the dates 1732. SEXTO. MB. 1734. SEPTIMO. MB. 1735. OCTAVO. MB. 1736. NONO. See Rud. xl. 13. MB. which is dated 1733, of which year no such coin exists. With roses on the rev. 1739. DVODECIMO. Rud. xl. 17. MB. 1741. DECIMO QVARTO. MB. Sn. xvii. 42, has roses only and date 1745, we know not any such coin. Of the old head there are with roses, 1743. DECIMO SEPTIMO. MB. Plain between the shields, and LIMA under the bust, 1746. DECIMO NONO. MB. See Rud. xl. 21, which is dated 1745, no such coin existing. Plain, without LIMA. 1750. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB. 1751. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB. Rud. xl. 1, has young head, plain rev. and date 1731. His xl. 9. has plumes on the rev. and date 1728; there are not any such coins as either of these.
Half-Crowns: Of the young head there are, with roses and plumes, 1731. QVINTO. MB. 1732. SEXTO. MB. 1734. SEPTIMO. Rud. xl. 14. MB. 1735. OCTAVO. MB. 1736. NONO. MB. With roses, 1739. DVODECIMO. MB. 1741. DECIMO QVARTO. MB. Ruding's xl. 10. with plumes on the rev. 1731, does not exist. Of the old head there are with roses, 1743. SEPTIMO. MB. 1745. NONO. Rud. xl. 18. MB. Plain, with LIMA under the head, 1745. NONO. Rud. xl. 22. Sn. xvii. 34. MB. 1746. NONO. MB. Plain, without LIMA, 1750. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB. 1751. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB.
Shillings: Type like that of the crowns and half-crowns. With the young head, plumes, 1727. MB. 1731. Rud. xl. 11. MB. Roses and plumes, 1727. MB. 1728. MB. 1729. Rud. xl. 15. MB. 1731. MB. 1732. MB. 1734. MB. 1735. MB. 1736. MB. 1737. MB. Plain rev. 1728. MB. Roses, 1739. MB. 1741. MB.
With the old head, roses, 1743. MB. 1745. MB. 1747. Rud. xl. 19. Sn. xvii. 26. MB. Plain, with LIMA under the head, 1745. Rud. xl. 23. MB. 1746. MB. Plain, without LIMA, 1750. MB. 1751. MB. 1758. MB.
Sixpences: Similar to the shillings. With the young head, plain, 1728. MB. Plumes, 1728. Rud. xl. 12. MB. Roses and plumes, 1728. MB. 1731. Rud. xl. 16. MB. 1732. MB. 1734. 1735. 1736. MB. With roses, 1739. MB. 1741. MB.
With the old head, roses, 1743. Rud. xl. 20. MB. 1745. MB. Plain, with LIMA under the bust, 1745. Rud. xl. 24. Sn. xvii. 19. MB. 1746. MB. Plain, without LIMA, 1750. MB. 1751. MB. 1757. MB. 1758. MB.
Maundy Money: The young head alone appears upon these pieces, which, like those of his father, have only his British titles; and on the rev. the numerals crowned. Rud. xl. 5, 6, 7, 8.
Groats occur with the following dates, 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1760.
Three-Pence have the following dates, 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1760.
Half-Groats: These have the dates, 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1756. 1759. 1760.
Pence: 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1750. 1752. 1753. 1754. 1755. 1756. 1757. 1758. 1759. 1760.
George II ascended the throne upon the death of his father in 1727. No change whatsoever took place in the denomination, size, value, or fineness of the silver money. The nature of the types, too, continued the same, and with similar symbols: we have roses and plumes, for West of England, and Welch silver; and we have LIMA under the king's bust upon those pieces which were struck from the silver which was captured, according to Mr. Pollet, by the Prince Frederic and Duke privateers. According to other authorities they were coined from the silver captured, by Lord Anson, in the great Acapulco galleon. The former tradition is the more probable, for Acapulco is the capital of Mexico, and Lima, which is the capital of Peru, would very inconsistently be inscribed upon Mexican silver. There are two strikingly distinct portraits of George II. upon his coinages, the young head and the old head; excepting however in the characteristics of age, the two heads may be described in the same words. The young head was engraved by Croker, the old head by Tanner. The profile is turned to the left; the hair long, laureate; the body invested with armour decorated upon the shoulder with a lion's head; a slight drapery hanging round the breast, GEORGIVS II. DEI GRATIA. On the reverse are shields similar to those of his father and similarly arranged; the legend consists of the initials of his British and German titles, M. B. F. ET H. REX. F. D. B. ET. L. D. S. R. I. A.T. ET. E. with the date of the year; the edge upon the larger pieces bearing the date of the reign.
Crowns: Of the young head there are, with roses and plumes on the reverse, the dates 1732. SEXTO. MB. 1734. SEPTIMO. MB. 1735. OCTAVO. MB. 1736. NONO. See Rud. xl. 13. MB. which is dated 1733, of which year no such coin exists. With roses on the rev. 1739. DVODECIMO. Rud. xl. 17. MB. 1741. DECIMO QVARTO. MB. Sn. xvii. 42, has roses only and date 1745, we know not any such coin. Of the old head there are with roses, 1743. DECIMO SEPTIMO. MB. Plain between the shields, and LIMA under the bust, 1746. DECIMO NONO. MB. See Rud. xl. 21, which is dated 1745, no such coin existing. Plain, without LIMA. 1750. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB. 1751. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB. Rud. xl. 1, has young head, plain rev. and date 1731. His xl. 9. has plumes on the rev. and date 1728; there are not any such coins as either of these.
Half-Crowns: Of the young head there are, with roses and plumes, 1731. QVINTO. MB. 1732. SEXTO. MB. 1734. SEPTIMO. Rud. xl. 14. MB. 1735. OCTAVO. MB. 1736. NONO. MB. With roses, 1739. DVODECIMO. MB. 1741. DECIMO QVARTO. MB. Ruding's xl. 10. with plumes on the rev. 1731, does not exist. Of the old head there are with roses, 1743. SEPTIMO. MB. 1745. NONO. Rud. xl. 18. MB. Plain, with LIMA under the head, 1745. NONO. Rud. xl. 22. Sn. xvii. 34. MB. 1746. NONO. MB. Plain, without LIMA, 1750. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB. 1751. VICESIMO QVARTO. MB.
Shillings: Type like that of the crowns and half-crowns. With the young head, plumes, 1727. MB. 1731. Rud. xl. 11. MB. Roses and plumes, 1727. MB. 1728. MB. 1729. Rud. xl. 15. MB. 1731. MB. 1732. MB. 1734. MB. 1735. MB. 1736. MB. 1737. MB. Plain rev. 1728. MB. Roses, 1739. MB. 1741. MB.
With the old head, roses, 1743. MB. 1745. MB. 1747. Rud. xl. 19. Sn. xvii. 26. MB. Plain, with LIMA under the head, 1745. Rud. xl. 23. MB. 1746. MB. Plain, without LIMA, 1750. MB. 1751. MB. 1758. MB.
Sixpences: Similar to the shillings. With the young head, plain, 1728. MB. Plumes, 1728. Rud. xl. 12. MB. Roses and plumes, 1728. MB. 1731. Rud. xl. 16. MB. 1732. MB. 1734. 1735. 1736. MB. With roses, 1739. MB. 1741. MB.
With the old head, roses, 1743. Rud. xl. 20. MB. 1745. MB. Plain, with LIMA under the bust, 1745. Rud. xl. 24. Sn. xvii. 19. MB. 1746. MB. Plain, without LIMA, 1750. MB. 1751. MB. 1757. MB. 1758. MB.
Maundy Money: The young head alone appears upon these pieces, which, like those of his father, have only his British titles; and on the rev. the numerals crowned. Rud. xl. 5, 6, 7, 8.
Groats occur with the following dates, 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1760.
Three-Pence have the following dates, 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1760.
Half-Groats: These have the dates, 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1756. 1759. 1760.
Pence: 1729. 1731. 1732. 1735. 1737. 1739. 1740. 1743. 1746. 1750. 1752. 1753. 1754. 1755. 1756. 1757. 1758. 1759. 1760.