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    Guinea coinweight

    Produced for submission in another place.


    Although this is not an actual legal tender coin, it is intrinsic to the use of coinage in England in the late 1700s. The image shows the obverse and reverse of a guinea coinweight from the reign of George III. New legislation came in in 1775 to redefine the weight of a (gold) guinea and these coinweights were used to check coins which were offered in payment. The figures on the reverse show that this weight was 5 pennyweight and 8 grains (24 grains = 1 pennyweight = 0.055 ounces = 1.56 grams) and the peculiar-looking mark stamped between the 5 and the 8 is an (inverted) coffee pot, the mark of the Founders Company in London indicating that the coinweight has been checked and certified correct. The weight is 20 mm (3/4") in diameter.


    Guinea coinweight (2) by John Liddle, on Flickr
    John Liddle

    Backwell, North Somerset - "Where the cider apples grow"

    #2
    interesting back story John

    I'm curious about the little imperfection on the rim of RHS one, would that be where the maker has removed some of the material to make it the correct weight, or is it just wear and tear?
    Peter

    Feel free to browse my
    Website : www.peterstockton-photography.co.uk
    Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_original_st/

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      #3
      Originally posted by ST-EOS View Post
      interesting back story John

      I'm curious about the little imperfection on the rim of RHS one, would that be where the maker has removed some of the material to make it the correct weight, or is it just wear and tear?
      Thanks Peter - it is actually 2 sides of the same coin, fettled together via PhotoShop. The imperfection you spotted is smaller in reality than it appears to be from the image - I've looked more closely at it and it's just wear and tear. If I only have the odd small imperfection after nearly 250 years I shall be well pleased!
      John Liddle

      Backwell, North Somerset - "Where the cider apples grow"

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        #4
        Interesting back story John. You learn something everyday
        Trev

        Equipment - According to the wife more than a Camera Shop got

        Flickr:
        https://www.flickr.com/photos/trevb2639/

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          #5
          Very interesting, every day is a school day.
          7D, 400D, EF-S 15-85 f3.5/5.6, EF 100 f2.8 USM macro, Sigma 10-20 f4/5.6, Sigma 70-300 f4/5.6 APO, Sigma 50 f1.4, EF 28-90, EF 90-300, Sigma 150-600C, 430 EXll, Yongnuo 568 EX ll, Yongnuo Triggers, Yongnuo YN14-EX Ring Flash

          Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/94610707@N05/

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            #6
            Great photo showing nice detail etc.

            Nice info too!
            Railway Photography - Steam Train Photos

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              #7
              Thanks for sharing John. I imagine forging golden guineas was not exactly unknown so it might well pay to have a check weight - just in case...
              Nigel

              You may know me from Another Place....

              The new ElSid Photogallery...

              Equipment: Far too much to list - including lots of Nikon...

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                #8
                Great photo and thank you for sharing the background story, really interesting.
                I guess on the reverse the ‘G’ stands for Grains, what is the letter ‘D’ an abbreviation of?
                Rise

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Lavenderhill View Post
                  Great photo and thank you for sharing the background story, really interesting.
                  I guess on the reverse the ‘G’ stands for Grains, what is the letter ‘D’ an abbreviation of?
                  Rise
                  Rose - D is for dwt - "d" being the abbreviation for "penny", derived from the Latin "denarius", so dwt = denarius weight = pennyweight
                  John Liddle

                  Backwell, North Somerset - "Where the cider apples grow"

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                    #10
                    Thank you John, much appreciated. If I had a brain I should have realised.
                    Rose

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