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.
WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. (1689 to 1702. 1689 to 1694.)
Denominations. Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Shilling, Sixpence, Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, Penny. Gold. Five-guinea, Two-guinea, Guinea, Half-Guinea. Tin. Halfpenny, Farthing. Copper. Halfpenny, Farthing.
Obverse.—Type. Dexter busts profile of king and queen, (William and Mary) side by side, that of the king laureated, partly in armour. Queen draped, hair curled; some have the bust of Mary only; Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, and Penny, busts undraped. After Mary’s death, the bust of William, profile and laureated, appears alone.
Legend. First, GVLIELMVS ET MARIA or GVLIELMVS ET MARIA DEI GRATIA. Later, GVLIELMVS TERTIVS. or GVLIELMVS III. DEI GRATIA.
Reverse.—Type. Four crowned shields in cross, as before; in the centre, the shield of Nassau; between the shields, W. and M. conjoined; the four figures of the date, as 1693, one under each monograph. Some Half-crowns have a plain shield of the royal arms, crowned; Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, and Penny, values crowned. After the death of Mary, feathers on some, and on others roses, take the place of the monogram of W and M between the shields; on others the space is left blank.