12 Pence - James II Gun Money Coinage, Silver Proof Issue

Gun Money takes its name from the bronze cannon, church bells, and scrap metal James II ordered melted down to produce emergency coinage after William III's forces cut off his supply lines in Ireland. The silver proof strikes of 1690 were never intended for circulation — they were presentation pieces, almost certainly produced for sympathizers and potential foreign backers at a moment when James was actively seeking support from Louis XIV and other Catholic powers.

The underlying bronze coinage was officially declared valueless after the Jacobite defeat at the Boyne in July 1690, rendering the circulating issues worthless within months of striking.