British Copper Coins Of The Proclamation!

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The 1797 Penny of King George III has a very special link with Australia. Not only was it specifically mentioned in the Proclamation of 1800, but also it was the arrival of a shipment of these very coins into Sydney harbour that prompted Governor King to issue the proclamation. The coins had been minted especially to relieve a coin shortage in New South Wales - it is Australia's 'first penny'.

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In the same year, a Twopence piece was also minted. These two coins of 1797 became known as 'Cartwheels' because of their large size and thick rim. The penny measured 36mm in diameter and weighed 28gm while the twopence measured 41mm diameter - making it the biggest coin ever used as circulating currency in Australia - and weighed in at almost 60gm! An unfortunate consequence of their huge size is that circulation took its toll on them.

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In fact, the twopence was simply too big - and it was not minted again - making the 1797 issue the ONLY copper two pence in history. Two years after this, in 1799, the halfpenny and farthing were minted, although by then the design had been slightly modified. Contact our senior executives now!