he coins emanating from regional mints, which were often poorly struck or underweight, and the production of pieces from defaced dies of King Stephen’s official coinage spoke out as an act of defiance. A national coinage system was restored after the settlement of the civil war in 1153, but the episode demonstrates how keenly the right to mint is seized when opportunity arises.
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–51) fractured the system once again. Fearing for the safety of his family and retinue as tension with parliament ratcheted, Charles I left London on 10 January 1642. The Royal Mint was housed within the Tower of London and remained under parliamentary control along with the south coast ports. Denied access to the mint and supplies of imported gold, forces loyal to Charles I established their own means of production, striking oversized silver pound coins of equivalent value to their gold counterparts.
The Royalists had a head start as there was already a mint in Aberystwyth prior to the civil war. In September 1642, its equipment was transferred to Shrewsbury, where a mint was established in connection with the recruitment of soldiers for the king’s army.
Royalist mints were subsequently set up in Oxford, Bristol, Truro, Exeter, York and Chester. Besieged towns contributed silver plate which was turned into coins using hand striking techniques, similar to those at the Tower. Many were poorly produced but as a series their quality holds up given their temporary nature.
Starting in Sydney in 1855, branch mints around the world struck Sovereigns in countries where gold was mined. Production would carry on until 1932, when the Pretoria mint struck the last of these coins. Unlike Canada, South Africa and Australia, India did not experience a gold rush of its own. But, because of naval blockades during the First World War, gold bound for London from South Africa was diverted to the region.
Consequently, during 1918 the branch mint in Bombay struck its own Sovereigns. The distinctive ‘I’ mint mark identifies their origin. They were only produced for one year and they carry the date of the final year of the war. Some of the Sovereigns struck in Bombay found their way into the hands of Lawrence of Arabia and helped fund the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.
Isolation necessitates improvisation and siege tactics advanced significantly during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. With nothing allowed in or out of a town or castle, ways had to be found to maintain everyday economic activity. During the English Civil War, Carlisle became an isolated Royalist outpost in the north of England. When the city was besieged by a Scottish army from October 1644, every citizen was asked to offer up their silver plate to be coined. Siege pieces are often square or diamond shaped and, without access to minting tools, it was easier to cut these patterns from whatever precious metal was available.
Similarly, Royalist strongholds that became cut off from newly established regional mints still needed to pay garrisons to ensure their continued commitment. At Newark, Scarborough, Carlisle and Pontefract, improvised money was produced. Rough-hewn in nature, some of the source material was domestic silverware.
Spoils of War
Conversely, war can provide access to bullion that isn’t normally available. In medieval times a country would pay to secure the release of a captured monarch in its own currency, only to find it melted down to make coins of the opposing territory.
In 1194, Richard I (1189–99) paid a substantial weight of silver coins to Duke Leopold V of Austria to buy his freedom. The Austrian leader went on to strike coins from the coin, which, it is claimed, led to the founding of the Austrian Mint.
Edward III (1327–77) was successful in extracting large ransoms from, amongst others, John II of France and David II of Scotland. It seems a small element was melted down to be made into English coins.
Captured bullion can also bolster the supply of precious metals. One of the most famous examples is the George II sil