1 Shilling - William III 1st bust, Chester mint

The Chester mint was one of five provincial mints hastily activated in 1696 to support the Great Recoinage — a crisis-driven operation ordered by the Treasury after clipped and debased hammered silver had so thoroughly degraded the circulating coinage that trade was grinding to a halt in many parts of England. John Locke and Isaac Newton both contributed to the policy debate that preceded it, with Newton subsequently taking charge of the London operation at the Tower.

Chester's output was modest and its dies sometimes poorly maintained, making crisp examples from this facility genuinely scarce. The mint closed again in 1698, having served its single emergency purpose.