The Newark money was much better fashioned. It was not circular nor irregular, but lozenge-shaped. The front faces usually bore the royal crown, the letters C.R., and the value in pence, whilst the rear faces showed the date and the words OBS-NEWARK. There were no coins for odd amounts as there were at Beeston.
GUN MONEY OF JAMES II.
(1. Sixpence—2. Sixpence—3. Shilling—4. Shilling—5. Half-crown—6. Half-crown—7. Half-crown—8. Half-crown.)
Colchester turned out various grades of money. The gold half-unite was circular and of fairly good workmanship, but the silver shilling and the silver nine-penny piece were shaped variously and poor in quality.
The best coinage of all came from Pontefract, where the siege money was struck not only for Charles I but also for Charles II. The designs were all enclosed within a circle, but the shape of the metal was circular, lozenge-shaped, and hexagonal. Both faces of the coins were ornamented.
Other siege money which we must note came from Ireland, and grew out of the rebellion, headed by Phelim O'Neill, which rose in 1641, when some forty thousand men, women, and children were cruelly massacred by the Confederated Catholics.
This self-constituted body—followers of Charles—drew up many decrees: we need mention here but one:—
"It is this day ordered by this assembly, that coin and plate shall be raised and established in this Kingdom, according to the rates and values hereafter mentioned, and that there shall be forthwith coined the sum of four thousand pounds, to pass currant in and through this Kingdom, according to a proclamation."