1 Dollar - George III Pattern

This pattern was produced at the Royal Mint in response to a severe shortage of Spanish dollars circulating in British colonial territories, particularly in the Caribbean. Rather than relying indefinitely on countermarked foreign coinage, the Crown explored purpose-struck alternatives. The 1798 patterns represent one of several exploratory strikes that preceded the Bank of England's 1804 dollar — itself a restruck Spanish piece — meaning this white metal trial was part of a design and policy deliberation that ultimately concluded against a fully original British dollar for another decade.