Soho Mint

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Soho Mint was created by Matthew Boulton in 1778 in his Soho Manufactory (grid reference SP051890) in Handsworth, West Midlands, England.

A mint was erected at the manufactory containing eight machines, driven by steam engine, each capable of striking 70 to 84 coins per minute.

In addition to copper domestic coins, silver coins were made for some of the colonies, and various medals were struck.[1]

After the demise of the Soho Mint some of the machinery was bought at auction by the new Birmingham Mint of Ralph Heaton II .[2]

Contents

[edit] Cartwheel penny

The common coinage, copper halfpennies, was subject to severe counterfeiting.

In order to differentiate his proposed copper coins from counterfeits he specified them as follows:[1]

twopence
2 ounces weight, diameter 8 to the foot
penny
1 ounce, diameter 17 to two feet
half-penny
1/2 ounce, diameter 10 to a foot
farthing
1/4 ounce, diameter 12 to a foot

In 1797 the first, and only, copper twopenny and the first penny coins were produced under contract although the smaller denominations did not follow until later.[3] These coins were comparatively large, having a broad raised rim with the inscription pressed below the surface and became known as the cartwheel pennies. Over 45 million were minted in two years.[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Old and New Birmingham: A History of the Town and its People, Robert Kirkup Dent, Published by Houghton and Hammond, Scotland Passage, Birmingham, 1880
  2. ^ A Numismatic History of the Birmingham Mint, James O. Sweeny, The Birmingham Mint Ltd, 1981, ISBN 0-9507594-0-6
  3. ^ British Coins Market Values, Link House Magazines Ltd, 1993, ISSN 0-86296-100-9
  4. ^ A History of Greater Birmingham - down to 1830, Victor Skipp, 1980, ISBN 0-9506998-0-2
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Coordinates: 52.49888° N 1.92630° W

[edit] External links