Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN // / // / fzC&tc* O e--^ A GUIDE TO THE coiisrs GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND, IN GOLD, SILVER, AND COPPER, FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME, WITH THEIR VALUE. BY THE LATE COL. W. STEWART THORBTJRN, MEMBER OF THE NUMISMATIC SOCIETY OF LONDON. SECOND EDITION. Illustrated with Facsimiles of Coins in Gold and Silver, and numerous other Plates in Gold, Silver, and Copper. LONDON : L. UPCOTT GILL, 170, STRAND, W.C. LONDON : t'tlivri:n BY ALFRED BRADLEY, \~(l vntAXD, W.I . In CDemoriam. LIEUT.-COLOWEL WILLIAM STEWART THORBURN Was the eldest son of the late James Thorbum, Esq., Barrister of the Inner Temple, and Mary Anne, daughter of William Stewart, Esq., of Shambellie. His paternal grandfather, the Rev. William Thorbnrn, was for more than fifty years Incumbent of Troqueer, Dumfries, with which district the family has been connected for many generations. Colonel Thorbnrn was born in 1838, and was educated at Dumfries and Edinburgh, and gave early promise of unusual abilities. He entered the Army in 1858, as Ensign in the 1st Royals, was promoted Lieu- tenant, and, after some years' service, joined the Army Pay Department. He served in India, and different parts of the world, and rose through the various grades of his profession until he was promoted Lieut.-Colonel, in March, 1886, and selected for the onerous and respon- sible post of Chief Paymaster in Ireland. He was not, however, destined long to hold a position for which his thorough knowledge of financial affairs and his abilities had peculiarly fitted him. In the beginning of August, he was suddenly struck down by the rupture of a blood vessel in the lung, and, after a painful illness of ten weeks, died on October 18th, 1886, at Dalkey, near Dublin, in the prime of his useful and active life, aged forty-eight years. He leaves a widow and two daughters to mourn their irreparable loss. By his own wish, he is interred 2015154 at Malvem, beside his only son, who had died the previous year, aged fifteen. From a very early age Colonel Thorburn had devoted much of his leisure to the study of Numismatics, having formed the nucleus of his fine collection while still a boy at school. An old friend had given him some ancient Scottish coins, which had long been treasured in the family, and this had led the lad to inquire into the subject, in which he soon became deeply interested an interest which ended only with his existence. During his roving life of military service, and amidst the pressing duties of his profession, he never lost sight of his favourite pursuit. By degrees, here and there, as opportunity per- mitted, he formed his collection of English and Scottish Coins, the Stuart period especially occupying his at- tention. Already a Member of the Numismatic Society, he thoroughly acquainted himself with the subject in all " its branches, and compiled the Guide to the Coins of Great Britain and Ireland," which occupied his leisure hours for more than two years, and on which he bestowed the most painstaking study and minute research. He was contemplating another and larger work on the same subject when his career was cut short by his untimely death, which was deeply mourned by his brother officers, and a large circle of friends, to whom his genial nature and high character had endeared him. TO JOHN EVANS, ESQ., D.C.L., LL.D., PRESIDENT OF THE NUMISMATIC SOCIETY, VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, F.S.A., F.G.S., F.S.A. SCOT., AUTHOR OF "COINS OF THE ANCIENT BRITONS," ETC., ETC., ETC., WHOSE LABOURS AND DISCOVERIES HAVE SO GREATLY ADVANCED THE SCIENCE OF NUMISMATICS, THIS VOLUME IS BY PERMISSION RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED. INTRODUCTION. THIS book has been prepared with the object of supplying, in a single volnme, a Guide to the Identification and Valuation of the Coins of England, Scotland, and Ireland, at once accurate, complete, and cheap. The standard works on the subject are so costly, and seme are so scarce, as to be out of the reach of the majority of collectors. Kuding'a "Annals of the Coinage of Great Britain and its Dependencies, from the Earliest Period of Authentic History to the Reign of Victoria," is the most comprehensive work. The last and best edition, in three quarto volumes, was published in 1840, two volumes consisting of text and one " of plates. Mr. Cochran-Patrick's Records of the Coinage of Scotland, from the Earliest Period to the Union," is the most recent work on that subject. It was published in 1875, in two quarto volumes, at ,5 5s., and contains sixteen beautiful plates, printed by the autotype process from photographs of the coins themselves, but descriptions of the coins figured are not given. As their titles indicate, these works are histories of the coinage, not descriptions of the coin-. " Mr. Evans' exhaustive work on The Coins of the Ancient Britons," Hawkins's "Silver Coins of England," second edition, 1876, and ita companion volnme, Kenyon's "Gold Coins of England," 1884, contain minute descriptions of the coins, and are models of painstaking research. As text-books they are indispensable to the student and advanced collector of early British, Saxon, and English coins. But as regards the coins of Scotland and Ireland, the works of Lindsay* are now, in some respects, out of date, and must be read by the light of recent dis- coveries. Especially is this true in the case of Irish coins, forty-five years having elapsed since the publication of Lindsay's "View of the Coinage of Ireland." Dr. Aquilla Smith, of Dublin, the greatest authority on the subject, has contributed to the proceedings of various learned societies papers which contain the result of his researches. The^e papers have not, unfortunately, been republished in a collected form, but the information given in them has been carefully embodied in this book, and a reference made to the particular volume in which each treatise may be found. I am indebted to Dr. Smith for valuable information most kindly given to me while engaged in preparing this account of Irish coins. * "A View of the Coinage of Scotland," 1 vol., 4to, 1845; "A Supplement t > the Coinage of Scotland," 1 vol., 4to, Iso9 : A second Supplement to the Coini^e or Scotland," 1 voL 4W, lb6S; "A View of the Coinage 01 belanV 1 voL, Ito, Iwa. INTRODUCTION. vu In the following pagea will be found a description of every denomination nd issue of the coins of each reign, together with their correct weights, a knowledge of which is often most useful in identifying: a, coin or in determining whether a doubtful piece is genuine or not. By referring to the lists of coins here described, a collector will be able to ascertain what pieces are required to complete any particular series. Illustrations are given of such typical coins as teemed necessary to convey a general idea of the current coin of each monarch, and an Index to the Plates is added to facilitate reference. With regard to the valuation of coins, a few remarks may not be out of place. The late Mr. Hawkins considered it extremely difficult to give an accurate idea of the market value of coins, because the is of the value affected by a variety circumstances ; for example, by rarity of the piece, the demand for it amongst collectors at the moment when offered for sale, and especially by its state of preservation. Persons residing in the country, who have not the opportunity of attending sales or examining choice collections, are liable to deceive themselves and others with respect to the pecuniary value of coins. Referring to a paragraph in a newspaper or to a priced catalogue of some distinguished collection, they find that a certain coin has been sold for a certain sum, and immediately conclude that every piece of a similar description must be worth as much or perhaps more, not adverting to, or not being aware of, the circumstance that the unusual state of its preservation, or some accidental competition between rival collectors, has carried the price beyond ordinary limits. The pricea quoted in the following pages have been actually realised at sales of coins held in London and Edinburgh during the last thirty years. It is hoped that this information may aid coin collectors in their pur- chases and assist possessors of coins in forming an approximate idea of the value of their collections. Many of the sale catalogues consulted were courteously lent by Messr.*. Lincoln and Son, the well-known numismatists, of 69, New Oxford-street, London. A list of the more important sales, with their dates, will be found on a subsequent page. A hint may be given to the young collector as to the arrangement and preservation of his coins. They should be kept in a cabinet of mahogany, oak, or walnut-wood, having shallow trays pierced with circular spaces or holes to contain the coins. The trays should be made of mahogany, not of cedar, as it has been found that the surface of copper coins is injured by being kept in contact with cedar -wood. Under each coin should be placed a ticket with a description of the coin, and a reference to a catalogue in which should be recorded every particular, such as the date on which the coin was acquired, the name of the person from whom purchased, and the price. A coin from a well-known collection will always bring a higher price when sold than an equally fine specimen of which the antecedents are unknown.