4 Pence - Charles II 3rd hammered issue

Charles II's hammered coinage was never intended to last. Produced in the immediate aftermath of the Restoration while the new regime scrambled to re-establish a functioning mint, these issues bridged the gap before milled production could be properly organized. The hammered series was formally abolished by proclamation in 1662, the same year the milled coinage became standard — making the window for this specific issue exceptionally narrow.

Clipping was the practical death of hammered silver in England. The irregular flans made weight verification nearly impossible in daily commerce, a vulnerability that ultimately accelerated the transition rather than any purely aesthetic preference for the milled product.