Some Politically Defaced 19th Century Coins from Wiltshire

Abstract

George III George III George III George IV AngloIrish: Others: The contemporary defacement of English coin has been discussed in J. Gavin Scott British Countermarks on Copper and Bronze Coins (1975). This catalogue specifically covers coins and tokens countermarked, engraved or otherwise marked in Britain with the names or motifs of local tradesmen. Not included in it, for example, are coins defaced to make so-called 'love tokens', 'transportation tokens' or 'convicts' pieces' etc. Many coins also exist which have been defaced or countermarked on one or both faces of the coin, but where the function of this is unknown. Because of their unattractiveness and our ignorance about them, they have inevitably received little attention from students, museums or collectors. On many the defacement may well be, in effect, meaningless the result of casual vandalism or the products of punch-happy workmen. Three recent finds of defaced 19th-century coins from Bishops Cannings in Wiltshire, and all now in Devizes Museum, show however that this seemingly casual defacement can be for political purposes, that some defacement may reflect deep anti-British (in one instance, possibly anti-French) sentiment or may have been carried out as a protest against the monarchy or against the government as symbolised by the monarchy. This is not a unique use or mis-use of the currency. Defacement of the currency for political reasons has been seen in recent years in Cyprus1 and Northern Ireland,2 while in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, coins countermarked SPENCEAN SYSTEM etc. can be considered as less vitriolic political propoganda for the radical ideas of Thomas Spence.3 The first example was included in a small 'hoard' of 21 halfpence found in 1979 in a field at Bishops Cannings and which probably represents a lost purse or pocketful of coins. The coins are as follows: