The gold sovereign of Victoria, Nos. 183-184, has, on the reverse, an evidence of coins as a deposit of law archives. The shield surrounded by a crown, and bearing the arms of Great Britain quartered; but the arms of Hanover are omitted. Although Victoria was next heir to William IV., she was prevented by the Salic law from assuming the sceptre of Hanover. On this coin, it may be remembered, are very beautifully presented the rose, the thistle, and the shamrock.
A recent addition has been made to the Mint Cabinet of a very fine sovereign of the times of Oliver Cromwell, purchased at the coin sale of May 14 and 15, 1885.
Scotch moneys of any variety, are very much prized by collectors (see, in Case XV., “Selections,” “Groat of Robert Bruce, 1602.”) A very rare coin is the penny of Robert II. of Scotland, said to be the only specimen in existence of that monarch’s reign. In the seventeenth century the coinage of Scotland merged into that of England.
English Silver Tokens,
issued in England, Scotland, and Ireland. During the long suspension of specie payments, occasioned by the wars with Napoleon, the minor currency of England was supplied, not with small paper notes, but with silver tokens, issued by banks and traders, and made redeemable in bank notes. They were of reduced weight, to keep within the premium, and to prevent hoarding. They continued to circulate until the return of better times and of regular silver coinage. There were many varieties, most of which are here.
Portugal and Spain.
The coinage of Portugal and Spain in the fifteenth century, held greater sway than that of other countries. Of their coins, there are many fine specimens in the Mint Cabinet. The “joe and half-joe[12]” of Portugal are known of all nations, while the Spanish dollar, with its pretentious two globes under a crown, did not claim too much, and only tells the almost limitless rule of the great Philip. The coins of these nations became, through their possessions in the New World, the circulating medium of that portion of the earth. Spanish and Mexican dollars were almost synonymous, while the real and joe of South America was patterned after that of Portugal, which fact can be learned in this Cabinet. As nations decay it will be seen their coins become inevitably less trustworthy; even a glance at the cases marked “Portugal,” “Spain,” will give this lesson. In the Mexican collection there are issues which seem to contradict this assertion, for the “Mexican dollar” has, for generations, had a position in the monetary world of almost unchallenged credit, yet not by reason of the recognition given Mexico, but because of the United States using it so extensively; for, until the introduction of the “trade dollar,” this country had no currency that would meet the demand of the Oriental market.
Mexico.
The Mexicans use only gold and silver, and their national series is full of tragic interest, embracing, as it does, three and a half centuries of Mexican history, from Cortez to Maximilian. The “pillar dollar,” “windmill dollar,” “cast dollar” (the Mexicans are the only nation that cast money), and the “cob money” (a series so called by reason of its clumsiness), are all to be seen in this collection.