coin
- Museum number
- 1935,0401.8141
- Description
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Alloy coin with a thick plain edge. (whole)
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No legend inscription. An elephant with curved, mammoth-like tusks, standing to left. No hatching lines on the ground. Toothed border just inside outer rim. (obverse)
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A large shield bearing the Arms of the City, i.e. a St. George Cross (two thin lines dividing it in the centre, crossing at right angles) with (St. Paul's) sword upright in the first quarter. A six-pointed below with legend inscription around sides and top. Toothed border just inside outer rim. (reverse)
- Production date
- 1694
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 28 millimetres
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Weight: 15.20 grammes
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Thickness: 2.50 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- According to Peck "Montagu recorded this as a pattern for a halfpenny and ascribed it to the period of William and Mary because the same elephant die was also used for the Carolina and New England halfpennies, both of which are dated 1694. There are, however, fairly strong grounds for reattributing these pieces to the reign of Charles II.
Snelling, who is almost invariably careful and restrained in his judgement and attribution of uncertain pieces, could not 'conceive the intent of striking' the Carolina piece and thought it had 'no claim to be admitted as a piece of money, but rather is of the ticket kind', and he was of the same opinion regarding the London halfpenny, concerning the purpose of which he quoted three theories current at the viz. (1) 'That it was for the London Workhouse', (2) 'that its inscription alludes to the plague, and was struck while it raged in London', and (3) it was intended to be made current in Tangier'. These references to the plague and Tangier are significant, as they both point to the time of Charles II, which rather suggests that the elephant pieces were well known to have been struck during this period and that the suggestions quoted by Snelling were merely attempts to link them with some likely event in Charles's reign. That they were, in fact, struck at this time is practically confirmed by another, quite independent writer, Ralph Thoresby, who in his description of the copper coins of Charles II, unhestitatingly includes them among what he calls 'The African halfpenny [which hath the elephant on one side and the Arms of Metropolis on the other, GOD, PRESERVE, LONDON.' This reference to Africa at once calls to mind the elephant mark which occurs on some of the gold and silver coins of Charles II, indicating that the metal had been obtained from West Africa by the Royal Company of Adventurers. This company founded by the Duke of York in 1662, was reconsistitued and renamed 'The Royal African Company' in 1672, and there is little doubt it was for one of these, most probably the latter, that the elephant halfpennies were struck. Although the reverse legend at first rather suggests that they were struck in the actual year of the plague, memories of this calamity, and a constant dread of its recurrence, must have persisted for several years, hence the supplication - GOD PRESERVE LONDON would be just as appropriate and understandable on pieces struck in 1672, less than a decade after the event, but is quite inexplicable when linked with the year 1694. The reason for the re-use of the elephant die in 1694 for the obs. of the two American pieces remains a mystery."
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1935
- Department
- Money and Medals
- Registration number
- 1935,0401.8141
- C&M catalogue number
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BC (Peck 1970) (503)