Charles II's milled coinage of 1662 marked England's definitive break from hammered production, with the newly installed French engineer Pierre Blondeau supplying the machinery and — crucially — the edge-lettering technique that made coin clipping both detectable and pointless. The small silver denominations, including this piece, circulated as Maundy money almost immediately after issue, a royal almsgiving tradition that effectively pulled them from ordinary commerce.
Spink 3387 encompasses several die varieties across the eight-year run, withDateS appearing on some pieces and omitted on others.
Charles II's milled coinage of 1662 marked England's definitive break from hammered production, with the newly installed French engineer Pierre Blondeau supplying the machinery and — crucially — the edge-lettering technique that made coin clipping both detectable and pointless. The small silver denominations, including this piece, circulated as Maundy money almost immediately after issue, a royal almsgiving tradition that effectively pulled them from ordinary commerce.
Spink 3387 encompasses several die varieties across the eight-year run, withDateS appearing on some pieces and omitted on others.