1 Shilling - William III 1st bust, Norwich mint

The 1696 shilling recoinage was one of the most logistically brutal monetary operations in English history. By the mid-1690s, decades of clipping had left the circulating silver coinage so debased that coins were routinely accepted by weight rather than face value, crippling tax collection and trade alike. Parliament authorized a complete recall and reminting, and to meet the crushing volume, the Treasury temporarily pressed provincial mints into service — Bristol, Chester, Exeter, York, and Norwich among them. Norwich operated only during 1696 and 1697 before being stood down.

The provincial dies were cut in London and shipped out, which accounts for occasional inconsistencies in workmanship across the regional issues.