By Geni - Photo by user:geni, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52536173

 

Happy birthday to the USA

The American Rose 1723  - Useful and Pleasant

 

The Rosa Americana pieces, struck by William Wood of Wolverhampton under royal patent dated July 12, 1722, received a disappointingly small circulation in New York and New England. The colonists did not like them and refused to use them. Another coinage by Wood in 1722–24, intended for Ireland but rejected there because of scandalous circumstances surrounding his purchase of the royal patent, was shipped to the North American Colonies. Tokens were made in a special type of brass called Bath Metal (a type of brass) with trace amount of silver, the actual silver content varies from difference sources.

In the 1700s, William Wood, a copper and tin mine owner in England had an abundance of metal and was looking for a way to profit. Wood had heard the American colonies were experiencing a coin shortage. So being an enterprising businessman, Wood used his connection to the king’s mistress—the Duchess of Kendal—to strike a deal with King George I to supply coins to the American colonies.

Under terms of the contract, Wood could produce coins for fourteen years with not more than 300 tons of metal. Wood had to pay the King 100 pounds each year and the king’s comptroller 200 pounds each year.

The rose was intended to flatter King George I as a successor to the Plantagenets and Tudors—despite his German origin.

Wood struck Halfpenny, Penny and Two Pence coins. The first Two Pence designs were undated, and the remainder of the coins he struck were dated 1722, 1723 or 1724.

Due to the metal compound, these coins were lightweight and subsequently some American merchants refused to accept the coins in trade. Because the coins were not widely accepted, Wood stopped minting coins in 1723.

In 1725 Wood gave up his patent contract and instead accepted a pension for three years. Nonetheless, his coins remained in circulation in the American colonies until the Civil War. Examples have been unearthed in parts of New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

 

Sources

https://www.blanchardgold.com/market-news/the-surprising-history-behind-rosa-americana-coins/

wiki

https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wood-English-ironmaster-circa-1723

 

 

                             Not that Innocent. Three Papal coins

Here are three small copper coins bought for a few pounds each. They are all papal coins, either issued by a pope or in an area of papal rule.

 

This coin I identified by the coat of arms. It is Innocent XI 1676 -89. The other side shows the figure of St Paul

 

The inscription is BONO (NIA) DOCET. The middle line is difficult to read. Date is 164-

Bolognia was ruled by the Papacy. The phrase "Bononia Docet" means Bologna teaches and is a reference to the city’s university.

 

This coin has a door with letters  M D C which is the date 1600. The arms are those of the pope Clement VII. He was first pope to drink coffee apparently!

The door is one of the entrances to the basilicas in the Vatican and they stayed open during Jubilee (special) years such as 1600.

 

 

 

 

                                                             The Coins of Venezuela

 

This month we are looking at coins of countries that hit the headlines. One of these in Venezuela. The Bolívar is the official currency of Venezuela. It is named after the hero of South American independence Simón Bolívar, and was introduced as part of the monetary reform of 1879. It was long considered among the most stable currencies but since 1983, the currency has experienced a prolonged period of high inflation, losing value almost 500-fold.

One of the highlights of my boyhood coin collection was a small Venezuelan coin which I now know to be a Bolivar. I must have given it in 1960s when it was found in change. It is not in good condition or valuable but it fascinated me as it was made (mostly) of silver. To a young boy it was an item from an exotic, far away place.

Many of Venezuelan coin designs have changed little since the 1870s, a symbol of stability of ideals and the economy.  I suppose if you get a good design – stick to it!