William III's small silver denominations were struck in two distinct streams: ordinary currency pieces intended for circulation and Maundy coins distributed by the monarch in the annual Royal Maundy ceremony. By the late 1690s, the distinction between the two was largely administrative — the same dies frequently served both purposes, making definitive attribution between currency and Maundy strikes difficult without provenance documentation.
The 1698–1701 window falls squarely within the Great Recoinage's aftermath, when the hammered silver disaster of the previous decade had been addressed but public confidence in small silver remained fragile. Threepences circulated poorly regardless; their size made them easy to lose and easier to clip.
William III's small silver denominations were struck in two distinct streams: ordinary currency pieces intended for circulation and Maundy coins distributed by the monarch in the annual Royal Maundy ceremony. By the late 1690s, the distinction between the two was largely administrative — the same dies frequently served both purposes, making definitive attribution between currency and Maundy strikes difficult without provenance documentation.
The 1698–1701 window falls squarely within the Great Recoinage's aftermath, when the hammered silver disaster of the previous decade had been addressed but public confidence in small silver remained fragile. Threepences circulated poorly regardless; their size made them easy to lose and easier to clip.