Coins and the Sea - Shipwrecks and Pirates
Britain is a maritime nation that has been shaped by the sea and the same is true about our coins. Explore highlights from episode five and six of the Royal Mint Museum's podcast.
George III penny (1797) by The Royal MintThe Royal Mint Museum
Shipwrecks
The allure of shipwrecks has drawn treasure hunters and historians alike, but what happens to the cargo they carry?
Edward IV Ryal by The Royal MintThe Royal Mint Museum
Edward IV Ryal
A late-fifteenth-century Ryal of Edward IV, of the sort found on the wreck of the Mary Rose. Valued at ten shillings, this gold coin was struck during the immense turmoil of the Wars of the Roses.
George III penny (1797) by The Royal MintThe Royal Mint Museum
King George III Penny
A 1797 Cartwheel Penny of George III, struck in copper by Matthew Boulton’s Soho Mint. Coins of this sort were found on the wreck of the Mary Rose despite them being struck centuries after its sinking.
X marks the spot 10p (2018) by The Royal MintThe Royal Mint Museum
Pirates
Pirates, privateers and general rogues of the sea have been long associated with chests overflowing with coins.
Philip V Spanish Real
This 1728 Spanish Real would have been the sort of coin used for frequent trade in the Caribbean during the eighteenth century, owing to Spain’s early and extensive colonial presence there.
Elizabeth II Bermuda One Cent
Many currencies today feature references to flora and fauna, or to historic currencies. The modern Bermuda one cent piece features a hog, in reference to the Hogge Money of the islands from centuries prior.
Hogge Money was an early-seventeenth-century currency on which a hog, or pig, features centrally, in reference to the wild boars found on the islands.
X Marks the Spot 10p
The Royal Mint struck a series of alphabet-themed ten pence pieces in 2018 for the Great British Coin Hunt.
The entry for X was “X marks the spot” - a reference that was first popularised in Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 pirate adventure novel, ‘Treasure Island’.
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