JAMES II. (1685 to 1689.)
Denominations.—Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Shilling, Sixpence, Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, Penny. Gold. Five-guinea, Two-guinea, Guinea, Half-guinea. Tin or Pewter. Halfpenny, Farthing. Gun Money. As silver.
Obverse.—Type. Sinister bust profile, laureated, on some draped, on others undraped; hair long. The Crown has the king in armour on horseback, with drawn sword.
Legend. IACOBVS. II. DEI. GRATIA.
Reverse.—Type. Shields in cross, etc. The Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, and Penny have the value, IIII., III., II., I., crowned.
Legend. MAG. BR. FRA. ET. HIB. REX. and date.
Edge. DECVS ET TVTAMEN REX, and year of reign.
Gun Money. Silver being scarce in this reign, an issue of base money was resorted to, some of which, being struck from the old cannon and domestic utensils melted down, is called “Gun Money.” The Crown, which is scarce, has the king in armour, laureated, on horseback, with a drawn sword, a long sash flying behind; reverse, four shields in cross, with the crown in the centre; the Half-crowns, Shillings, and Sixpences have two sceptres in saltire, behind a crown, between I. R.; above the crown are numerals for value, and beneath, the month in which it was struck. Gold. The Five-guinea-piece is rare, the others common. They are of the same general type as the silver.
Tin or Pewter. Halfpence and Farthings: obverse, bust profile, as before; reverse, English, figure of Britannia, BRITANNIA; Irish, figure of Hibernia with the harp, HIBERNIA, or Irish harp crowned. Half-farthings: obverse, sceptres in saltire, and crown; reverse, harp or rose, crowned. There is also a kind called plug-money; this was struck owing to a scarcity of copper; it is of pewter, and in the middle is inserted a very small square plug of copper, to show that it is intended to pass for copper money. One tin Halfpenny has the king on horseback with drawn sword, on the obverse, and on the reverse the harp surmounted by a crown with lion crest, and two sceptres in saltire; in this two or more plugs of brass are inserted. Other varieties need not be particularized. White metal coins were also issued.