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1 Ackey - George III
| Issuer | Company of Merchants Trading to Africa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1796 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 15.55 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin (cursive) |
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| Reverse description | The armorial achievement of the Company of Merchants Trading to Africa occupies the central field, displaying a quartered shield bearing a sailing ship in full sail on the lower half and, in the upper half, a beehive amid stars and a rocky outcrop, symbolising commerce and the African trade. The shield is surmounted by a castle and elephant crest. Two male figures, rendered as African natives, serve as supporters on either side of the shield. The encircling legend, reading from upper right around to the base, references the Parliamentary Act of 1750 that established free trade to Africa. |
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| Additional information |
The ackey was the unit of account used by the Company of Merchants Trading to Africa for gold-dust transactions along the Gold Coast, and these silver coins were struck specifically to function within that indigenous weight-based exchange system rather than as conventional currency. The Company — a regulated body that had absorbed the old Royal African Company's assets in 1750 — needed coinage that local traders would accept on familiar terms. Half and quarter ackey denominations were struck alongside this piece.
Production was contracted to Matthew Boulton's Soho Mint in Birmingham, one of the earliest significant commercial commissions the Soho operation handled before its famous Royal Mint contract work.