French obsidional notes—Mafeking notes—The Napoleonic assignats—Charles II and University plate—Mints at Carlisle, Beeston, Scarborough, Newark, Colchester, and Pontefract—Irish gun money

Just as there are many postage stamps which owe their origin to the stern necessities of war, so there are a great number of coins, tokens, notes, etc., which have found their way into circulation as a result of the belligerent attitude of armies. All such examples of war money are extremely interesting and well worth collecting.

The conflict which is raging at the time of writing has already produced a certain amount of war money, notably in the northern part of France. In this area many small towns and villages have found themselves despoiled of their metal currency, with the consequence that paper money has been issued, under authority, to meet the temporary demands of the outraged inhabitants. Among the illustrations of this book, two such paper notes, coming from Epernay, are included; it is safe to say that in time to come these and similar issues will be much sought for.

Another interesting case of paper money which owed its inception to the needs of war is the Mafeking currency, issued by Baden-Powell during the famous siege by the Boers, which lasted from October 13, 1899, to May 17, 1900. The face value of the Mafeking notes was £1, 10s., 3s., and 1s., but copies now change hands at considerably enhanced prices.

The issue of paper money is no new idea; the French resorted to the practice in Napoleon's time, as they had also done during the life of the Republic which came into being on September 20, 1792. This latter body issued notes, termed "assignats," of five different denominations, ranging in value from about a sovereign to forty pounds. The assignats, it may be stated, were dishonoured by the succeeding Government, and people who held them lost their money. The writer possesses a few specimens which were given him, many years ago, by an old French lady whose family had fallen from affluence to humble circumstances solely through the dishonouring of these paper notes.

But the most interesting war currency which we have so far discovered is the obsidional money of the Great Rebellion of 1642-9. Historical data of this period is too well known to need repetition here, and it is sufficient to say that Charles, after he suffered defeat at Naseby, was forced to withdraw his troops to certain castles and towns throughout the land. From these strongholds he made occasional sallies, but a depleted exchequer always hampered his movements.

In order to obtain sufficient money to finance the Army, Charles begged the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge to give him their collections of plate, which he intended to melt down and recast as silver currency. "The University of Oxford and the majority of its colleges sent their plate, which was safely conveyed to the King, but that of the University of Cambridge was not sent, although many of the individual colleges contributed theirs. The treasures of St. John's and Magdalen, however, never reached their destination, but were seized by Cromwell whilst in transit to Nottingham."[26] Charles had many wealthy followers, however, and these were only too ready to help on the cause of the Royalists by sacrificing their silver ware.

With such supplies of metal the King was able to establish mints at Carlisle, Beeston Castle, Scarborough, Lathom House, Newark, Colchester, and Pontefract. The money supplied by these mints was used for paying the soldiers and buying material; it was also more or less honoured in the surrounding villages.

"The coins were usually struck upon irregular pieces of plate, cut from trenchers, platters, cups, etc., of silver, in place of being struck upon flans specially prepared by melting down the plate. This is only what one would expect, under the trying circumstances in which the various garrisons found themselves placed. That this was the case is clearly proved by the many examples existing, upon which traces of the original decoration are still visible, in some instances even, particularly upon examples issued at Scarborough, the rim of the dish being still to be seen at the edge of the piece."[27]

Dr. Philip Nelson tells us that about Christmas-time, 1644, the inhabitants of Carlisle were asked to take their silver plate to the mint, situated in the town, which they cheerfully did. The quantity of silver plate which was so obtained amounted to 1,162 oz. It was made up of the following items, which possess for the reader of to-day both a pathetic and an amusing interest. The item of "Widdow Orpheur, four spoons," truly a case of the widow's mite, and Sir Henry Fletcher's tankard, tumbler, and wine "bowles" strike us as being particularly worthy of note.

May the 13th 1645	A List of All the Plaite Brought in to be Coyned with the Weight thereof.
		oz.
Will: Atkinson. Alder one Winde Mill Boule, aTrencher salt & three spoones wt	012	1/2	0
Widdow Craister one beare boule one beaker one wine boule and six spoones wt	024	1/4	0
Julien Aglionby one Boule wt	008	1/2	0
Edmond Kidd 2 Bowles wt	015	3/4	0
Thomas Kidd one Boule wt	007	0	1/8
Will: Wilson Tenner one Bowle one Beaker wt	014	1/2	0
Thomas Lowrie 2 spoones wt	002	0	0
Robert Sewell one spoone wt	001	0	1/8
Collnell Kirkebride one bowle 4 spoones wt	013	0	0
Mary Carlile one bowle and 8 spoones wt	015	3/4	0
Edward Dalton one bowle one Tumbler & 2 peeces of broken plate wt	022	0	1/8
Mrs Chambers 2 beare boules and one wine boule wt	034	1/4	0
Mr Glaisters 3 beare bowles & 6 spoones wt	034	3/4	0
Widdow Baines Junior one bowle 2 spoones wt	011	1/2	1/8
Thomas Jackson one bowle & 2 spoones wt	007	1/2	1/8
Thomas Monke one bowle wt	008	0	0
Josph Jefferson one bowle wt	010	0	0
Mr Edward Orpheur one bowle 4 spoons wt	014	1/4	0
John Orbell 2 bowles one gilt bowle and 10 spoones wt	040	3/4	0
Widdow Orpheur 4 spoons wt	005	3/4	0
Mr Edward FountaÌne one bowle one salt and 2 spoones wt	017	1/2	0
Mr Richard Wilson 1 gilt bowle wt	008	1/2	0
Thomas Craggill 2 wine bowles and 3 silver spoons wt	015	0	0
Henry Monke one beaker 4 spoons wt	011	1/2	0
Thomas Tallentyre one bowle 4 spoones wt	013	3/4	0
Captaine Aglionby one bowle wt	010	1/2	1/8
Sir Thomas Glemham 2 Candlesticks wt	044	3/4	0
Mr George Barwicke one bowle 6 spoones wt	017	0	1/8
Robert James one bowle wt	008	3/4	0
Isabeil Holliday one sugardish wt	011	3/4	0
Sir Henry Fletcher one tankard one salt 1 tumbler 2 wine bowles 6 spoones wt	055	3/4	1/8
Capt: Cape 2 beare bowles 2 gilt salts one Colledge pott one Can gilt one gilt beaker wt	089	0	0
Mr Fredericke Tonstall one dozen 1/2 of plate wt	145	0	0
Mrs Tullie 5 spoones wt	006	1/4	0
John Tomlinson one bowle wt	008	0	0
Edward James one bowle wt	008	1/2	1/8
Sr Will: Dalston one greate salt one lesser salt one bowle 8 spoones wt	063	1/2	0
Mr Leo: Dykes one bowle one Tankard 6 spoones wt	030	3/4	0
Mr Lewis West 1 bowle wt	009	3/4	1/8
Sr Tho: Dacre 2 bowles wt	019	1/2	0
Capt Johnson one Tankard one salt wt	030	0	0
The Citties plate 2 Flaggons 2 gilt bowles one gilt salt 2 beare bowles wt	233	0	0
	————————————————————
	1162	1/4	1/8
Received in plate 1162 oz - 1/4 - 1/8 at 5s per oz Deliured to Mr Dykes 3001i resting in or hands 231i - 0 - 3 stamped out of 1076 oz. - 1/2 - 1/8 at 6s per oz	323	0	3
Gayned by Coyning at 6s per oz	42	8	4
Lost in meltynge and working	21	10	0

(Endorsed)

May the 13th 1645.
A note of
plate Coyned

The Carlisle money had the appearance of roughly made coinage, but that coming from the Beeston mint was innocent of even such resemblance. At this mint, thin pieces of silver were cut into fragments, weighed and then stamped with whatever value tallied with the weight. Thus we find not only two-shilling pieces, shilling pieces, and so on, but sevenpenny pieces, tenpenny pieces, and pieces valued at thirteen-pence. There was, we may add, but one face to all these coins.

The Beeston money did not bear any wording to show that it was coined at this castle, but simply bore a stamped impression of the castle gateway.

The Scarborough mint was no better equipped than that at Beeston, and what we have said of the latter applies also to the former. There is just this to be mentioned of the Scarborough pieces: "The reverse of the coins is blank, save for the few specimens which bear engraved upon them the words OBS-SCARBOROUGH-1645, which engraving, however, may possibly not be contemporary with the siege, but may have been added subsequently, as a memorial, about the date of the Restoration."[28]

The Newark money was much better fashioned. It was not circular nor irregular, but lozenge-shaped. The front faces usually bore the royal crown, the letters C.R., and the value in pence, whilst the rear faces showed the date and the words OBS-NEWARK. There were no coins for odd amounts as there were at Beeston.

Colchester turned out various grades of money. The gold half-unite was circular and of fairly good workmanship, but the silver shilling and the silver nine-penny piece were shaped variously and poor in quality.

The best coinage of all came from Pontefract, where the siege money was struck not only for Charles I but also for Charles II. The designs were all enclosed within a circle, but the shape of the metal was circular, lozenge-shaped, and hexagonal. Both faces of the coins were ornamented.

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Other siege money which we must note came from Ireland, and grew out of the rebellion, headed by Phelim O'Neill, which rose in 1641, when some forty thousand men, women, and children were cruelly massacred by the Confederated Catholics.

This self-constituted body—followers of Charles—drew up many decrees: we need mention here but one:—

"It is this day ordered by this assembly, that coin and plate shall be raised and established in this Kingdom, according to the rates and values hereafter mentioned, and that there shall be forthwith coined the sum of four thousand pounds, to pass currant in and through this Kingdom, according to a proclamation."

Accordingly, special coinage was struck at Kilkenny, Bandon, Kinsale, Youghal, and Cork, whilst Lord Inchquin and the Marquis of Ormond minted money which was popularly named after them. The Inchquin coins possess no claims to beauty nor even good workmanship, but the Ormond money is certainly bold in design and fair in construction.

Another interesting case of war money being coined arose out of the appearance of James II in Ireland during the early part of the year 1688. James had previously issued a patent for minting money to Sir John Knox, but on arriving in Ireland he seized the latter's coining apparatus and set up his own mints in Dublin and Limerick. A most interesting proclamation which he published in the year 1689 explained the measures he proposed to adopt for debasing the coinage; we give it in extenso:—

"Whereas, for remedy of the present scarcity of money in this our kingdom, and that our standing forces may be the better paid and subsisted, and that our subjects of this realm may be the better enabled to pay and discharge the taxes, excise, customs, rents, and other debts and duties, which are or shall be hereafter payable to us: we have ordered a certain quantity of copper and brass money to be coyned to pass currant in this our kingdom during our pleasure, in six penny pieces: each piece having on one side the effigies or figure of our head, with this inscription round Jacobus II dei gratia, and upon the other side, the stamp or impression of cross-sceptres and a crown between J.R. with VI above, the month wherein they are coyned below, with this inscription round, MAG. BRIT. FRAN. & HIBER. REX. 1689, and fringed round, each of the said pieces to be of the metal of copper and brass; all which pieces of money we have thought fit, by the advice of our privy council, to make currant money within this our kingdom. We do therefore hereby publish and declare, by the advice aforesaid, that the said pieces of copper and brass coyned, or hereafter to be coyned by our said order marked and stampt as aforesaid, shall pass during our pleasure, as currant money amongst all our subjects within our realm, and in all payments to be made either to us, or from us, or to or from any of our subjects within this kingdom, according to the rates following: that is to say, each of the said pieces called six penny pieces, marked and stamped as aforesaid, to pass for six pence: the said pieces to pass at the rates aforesaid, for the interest which hereafter shall fall due for such mortgages and debts due by records, bills, bonds, or obligations, and likewise for any of the said principal debts so secured where the debtor or his goods are, or shall be taken in execution for the same, and we do hereby strictly charge and command all and every of our subjects of this kingdome to take and receive in all payments to be made to them (excepting as aforesaid) the said pieces of money according to the rates aforesaid, hereby declaring that such of our subjects within this kingdom as shall refuse the said pieces of copper and brass money at the rates aforesaid (excepting as aforesaid) being tendered to them for payment, shall be punished according to the utmost rigour of the law, as contemners of our royal prerogative and command. Provided always, that this our proclamation shall not be construed, to oblige any merchant or merchants, importing any goods into this kingdom, to receive upon the first sale of such goods so imported, any of the said copper or brass money: And whereas we have caused the said copper and brass money to be made currant money for present necessity, and therefore do not intend that the same shall continue for any long time. We do, by this our royal proclamation, promise and engage to all our subjects here that as soon as the said money shall be decried and made null, that we shall thereupon receive from all and every our subjects within this kingdom such proportion of the said money as shall be, and remain in their respective hands at the time the same shall be so decried and made null: and at the same time either allow for the same to them the value thereof, at the rates aforesaid, out of what rent, duties or debts, they respectively shall owe to us, or to make them full satisfaction for the same according to the rates aforesaid, in gold or silver of the currant coyne of this kingdom. Given at our court, at Dublin-castle, the eighteenth day of June, 1689, and in the fifth year of our reign.

BY THE KING

A certain amount of trouble was, of course, experienced by the King in obtaining sufficient supplies of metal to meet his somewhat rapacious lust for coining. After his own stores were exhausted he cast around for additional supplies and the following candid letter reveals his method of procedure:—

"Our will and pleasure is, that you forthwith deliver to the commissioners of the mint those two brass canons now lying in the court of this our castle marked etc. weighing etc. and for soe doeing this shall be your warrant. Given at our court at Dublin-castle, this eleventh day of July, 1689, and in the fifth year of our reign.

To our trusty and wel-beloved
cozen and counsellor Justin Lord
Viscount Mount Cashel, master general
of our ordnance."

This second letter, dealing with the same matter, is also worthy of note:—

We have great occasion for his majesty's use to procure as much hamered or forged copper and brass as your parts can afford, and judging by the decay of trade and desolation of the country, that there may bee a great deale in your district or port, we desire you, by yourself and officers, to inform us presently what quantity you may bee able to furnish us with, and what the currant prices are of each. And whatever you can gett, buy at the best rates you can, and as soon as you have four or five hundred weight pray send it to us the commissioners of his majesty's mint, at the mint-house in Capel-street, Dublin, and what you pay shall bee allowed you in your accounts at the custom house, so doing you'll oblige,

A third letter, which we give below, was written by one of the King's emissaries who, with other trusty servants, was sent out to scour the country for further supplies of metal suitable for coining into gun-money.

Sir,
Last Tuesday, the carriages parted from hence with six thousand six hundred weight of gunn mettle, six hundred a quarter and two pounds of fine pewter, and a thousand weight of steele, they will be eleven or twelve days a goeing because the roads are very deep—The pewter cost ten pence per pound, and steele six pence. You may expect very soone a farther supply of mettle for I have made an agreement with two eminent dealers from Corke who have five or six thousand weight of copper and brass which they are to send here. I must have an order from the lords of the treasury, for sending it to your mint: there are foure or five broken bells in the country, which I can have if you send an order for seizing them for the king's use: there is an useless cannon at Gallway, and one or two at Kingsaile: I forgot to send you some of our coyne as you desired, by the next occasion I will not faile. I cannot buy fine pewter now under eleven or twelve pence the pound, for they say that you give fourteen or fifteen pence in Dublin, the rates for carriage from hence to Dublin is eight shillings the hundred weight.
I rest your humble servant,
Wat Plunkett.
To John Trindar Esq."

Summing up James's treatment of the coinage in Ireland, Dr. Nelson says: "Such a debasement of a country's coinage as we have seen above must ever be regarded as a sign of national weakness: also, from the sense of insecurity so engendered, it must inevitably bring disaster in its train, and such a fate overtook the cause of James alike in Ireland and in England. It was doubtless the intention of King James to redeem his gun-money coins, month by month, as opportunity permitted. Circumstances, however, decreed otherwise, as after the Battle of the Boyne he departed for France and was compelled to leave his adherents to their fate."[29]

With the advent of William and Mary, the gun-money of James was re-valued at rates which were practically ruinous to those who held any but small quantities of it. The proclamation ran as follows:—

"Having taken into our consideration the great oppressions and abuses committed by our enemies in this our kingdom of Ireland, by coyning and making currant brass money of copper or mixt metal, and raising the value thereof to an extravagant height, thereby to enable them to continue the war against us, and to impoverish our loving subjects in our said kingdom: We have therefore thought it necessary to put stop thereto, and to the end that such part of the said copper or mix't metal money, which remains in the hands of our said subjects, may not be wholly lost, we have thought fit to reduce the former value of the said copper money, to the value or standard of the like copper money formerly currant in this our kingdom, and accordingly we do hereby will and require all our subjects, within our said kingdom of Ireland, to take and receive all such copper or mix't metal money, lately coined in the mint erected in our city of Dublin, at the several and respective valuations following, and that the same do pass currant in exchange of money, and for all manner of goods and provisions whatsoever, and shall be received by all the officers and collectors of our customs, excise, or other branches of our revenue accordingly, viz.

"The large half-crown of copper money, together with the crown pieces, of like metal and weight, lately stamp'd shall pass at one penny sterling.

"The small half-crown of copper, lately stamp'd shall pass at three farthings.

"The large copper shilling shall pass at a half-penny sterling.

"The small shilling, lately stamped, and sixpence, shall pass each at one farthing.

"And our will and pleasure is, that all such pewter pence, as have been lately coyned in the said mint, shall pass for half-pence, and all the half-pence of the like metal, stamped in the said mint, shall pass currant for farthings.

"Which several sorts of coyn shall be deemed as currant money at the rates before mentioned, in all payments whatsoever within this our kingdom. Given at our camp by Dublin, this tenth day of July, 1690, in the second year of our reign."

In the limited space at our disposal, we have not been able to give more than an outline sketch of the various moneys under discussion. The student, however, will find detailed accounts of every coin issued during the Great Rebellion, and later by James II in Ireland, in Dr. Philip Nelson's two most interesting works, (a) "The Obsidional Money of the Great Rebellion," and (b) "The Copper Coinage of Ireland."

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