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1 Penny - George III 2nd Issue, 'Cartwheel'
| Issuer | Soho Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1797 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 3 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | 1797 - 10 leaves in wreath - 8,601,600 1797 - 11 leaves in wreath - 1797 - Bronzed proof - 1797 - Copper proof - 1797 - Gilt copper proof - |
| Additional information |
Matthew Boulton lobbied the British government for years before finally winning the contract to produce a new copper coinage in 1797. The coins were struck at his Soho Mint in Birmingham using steam-powered presses designed by James Watt — the first application of steam power to coinage production at scale. Boulton's brief was blunt: make the copper content match the face value exactly, a direct response to decades of lightweight counterfeits flooding Britain's small-change economy.
The sheer mass required to meet that brief made the coins deeply unpopular in daily use. Shopkeepers complained; a pocket of pennies weighed nearly half a pound. Circulation was short, which is why so many survivors show minimal wear.