Catalog
1 Ackey - George III Trial Strike
| Issuer | African Company of Merchants |
|---|---|
| Year | 1796 |
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| 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 |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | FREE TRADE TO AFRICA. BY ACT. OF PARLIAMENT. 1750. |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | 1796 |
| Additional information |
The African Company of Merchants, successor to the Royal African Company, held a Crown-granted monopoly over British trade along the Gold Coast and commissioned this coinage specifically for commerce in that region. The "ackey" was a unit derived from local gold weight measurements — an attempt to peg a minted coin to a trading standard already familiar to West African merchants. This 1796 piece is a pattern, never approved for general circulation, and the bronze-plated copper composition reflects the experimental nature of the striking rather than any intended production standard.