Copper. Early coinage: Halfpennies and Farthings, bust laureated and in armour, GEORGIVS III REX.; reverse, figure of Britannia, BRITANNIA and date; Irish, bust undraped; reverse, Irish harp crowned. 1797 and 1799, Twopence and Penny, with raised broad rim, on which is the legend, indented, bust profile, laureated, hair long, draped, GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA REX; Farthing, date under head; reverse, Britannia, bareheaded, in the right hand an olive branch, in the left a trident; seated on a rock, shield under her left hand, BRITANNIA, in the distance a ship (the water cut up to the curve of the coin), date under figure. Halfpence and Farthings, same figure of Britannia, but without the broad rim; halfpenny, BRITANNIA, date under figure; Farthing, BRITANNIA, under figure, 1 FARTHING. In 1806-7, Pence, Halfpence, and Farthings, bust laureated and draped, hair short, GEORGIVS III. D. G. REX. and date. Britannia as before, water in a line across, BRITANNIA. Irish, harp, crowned, HIBERNIA, and date. A large variety of copper coins for the East India Company, Isle of Man, Prince of Wales Island, Sierra Leone, Barbadoes, Ceylon, etc., were struck, which need not be particularized.
GEORGE IV. (1820 to 1830.)
Denominations.—Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Shilling, Sixpence, Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, Penny. Gold. Five-sovereign, Double-sovereign, Sovereign, Half-sovereign. Copper. Penny, Halfpenny, Farthing.
Obverse.—Type. Sinister large bust profile, laureated, undraped. In 1826 the bust differs, the neck and head are much narrower in proportion, and it is not laureated. These latter coins are the productions of Mr. Wyon, from the bust by Chantrey; the former ones are Pistrucci’s.
Legend. On the former, GEORGIVS IIII D. G. BRITANNIAR. F. D. Latter, GEORGIVS IV DEI GRATIA.
Reverse.—Type. Crown, St. George on horseback, undraped, helmeted, loose vest flying behind, in his right hand a dagger, his left holding the reins; under the horse, a dragon, a broken lance lying beside, no legend, date in exergue, edge, DECUS, etc. This coin is of most beautiful workmanship. Half-crown, early, royal arms; on some in plain square shield, crowned, encircled by the garter, with motto, HONI, etc., or ornamented shield, crowned, a rose beneath, and a thistle on one side, and on the other a shamrock, no legend; date on the former, with ANNO.; later, royal shield, beautifully mantled.
Early, Shilling and Sixpence as the Half-crowns; later, royal crown and crest, a lion passant-guardant, crowned; beneath is the rose, thistle and shamrock. This is commonly known as the “lion shilling.”
Legend. Later, BRITANNIARVM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR.
Gold. Five-pound-piece, Double-sovereign, Sovereign, and Half-sovereign, bust as before; reverse, George and dragon; or royal shield.
Copper. Pennies, Halfpennies, and Farthings; early, bust profile, laureated, draped or undraped; Pence and Halfpence, GEORGIVS IV DG REX.; Farthings, GEORGIVS IIII DEI GRATIA; Pence and Halfpence; Irish, harp, crowned, HIBERNIA. and date; Farthing, Britannia seated on a rock, facing the right, helmeted, in her left hand the trident, in her right, which rests on the shield, an olive branch, lion at her feet, no water in distance, date in exergue; later, Pence, Halfpence, and Farthings, Britannia seated helmeted, left hand the trident, right resting on shield, no olive branch, nor lion, beneath the figure, the rose, thistle, and shamrock, BRITANNIAR REX FID. DEF. A Half-farthing for Ceylon, and a one third of a Farthing, for Malta, were struck in 1827-8, and are rare.