Item number: A386

Year: AD 1797

Material: Gilt Copper

Size: 28.7 x 28.7 mm

Manufactured by: Soho Mint

Provenance: Noonans 2022

This is a copper-gilt coin minted and issued by King George III of England in AD 1797, with a face value of half penny.

The obverse of the coin features a right-facing bust of King George III, surrounded by the inscription “GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX,” meaning “George III, by the Grace of God, King.” The letter “K” appears below the portrait, indicating the coin engraver Conrad Heinrich Küchler.

On the reverse side, there is the figure of “Britannia,” symbolising Britain, seated with a trident in her left hand and an olive branch in her right hand, beside a shield bearing the Union Jack. In the background, there is a ship in the distance. The word “SOHO” is inscribed at the bottom right, indicating that the coin was minted at the Soho Mint, with the date “1797” below it.

It is noteworthy that this coin is a Pattern Coin, minted for testing new designs, production methods, or improvements to existing coins and is therefore non-circulating currency.

King George III reigned from AD 1760 to AD 1820, making him the longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch in British history. His opposition to American independence during the American Revolutionary War tarnished his image in the United States. In his later years, he suffered from mental illness, leading to his son, the Prince of Wales (later George IV), serving as regent. A highly cultured monarch, George III established the Royal Library and opened it to scholars. His collection was later donated to the British Museum, becoming the cornerstone of the national library.

物件編號: A386

年代: 公元 1797 年

材料: 銅鍍金

尺寸: 28.7 x 28.7 mm

製造地: 蘇荷鑄幣廠

來源: 諾南斯 2022

此枚為英國國王喬治三世於公元1797年鑄造發行的銅鍍金幣，面額為1/2便士。

硬幣的正面刻有國王喬治三世面朝右側的半身像，周圍刻有銘文「GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX」，意思是「蒙上帝恩典的國王 喬治三世」。肖像左下方刻有字母「K」，為德國的硬幣雕刻師Conrad Heinrich Küchler 的鑄幣標記。

硬幣背面刻有象徵英國的女性形象「Britannia」坐著，左手握有三叉戟，右手持有橄欖枝，其身旁有一面盾牌，盾牌上刻有英國旗幟的圖樣。左下角刻有一艘在遠處的船隻，右下角則刻有「SOHO」的字樣，標示此枚硬幣由蘇荷鑄幣廠鑄造，下方則刻有此枚硬幣的鑄造年分「1797」。

值得注意的是，此枚硬幣屬於樣幣(Pattern Coin)，是為測試新設計、新生產方式、改進現有硬幣…等情形時所鑄造的硬幣，因此屬於非流通幣。

喬治三世，在位期間公元1760到公元1820年，是英國歷史上最長壽、在位期間最長的君主。他在美國獨立戰爭中反對美國的獨立，這使他在美國的形象受到了一些負面評價。晚年，他受精神疾病困擾，因此由他的長子威爾斯親王（後來的喬治四世）擔任攝政。作為一位極具教養的君主，喬治建立了新的皇家藏書，並向學者開放了他的圖書館。他的收藏後來被捐贈給大英博物館，成為國家圖書館的核心。