{"id":1036,"date":"2026-01-27T22:02:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gbc.31pendleton.com\/?p=1036"},"modified":"2026-01-27T22:07:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T11:07:15","slug":"collection-focus-the-birth-of-copper-1675-charles-ii-farthing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gbc.31pendleton.com\/?p=1036","title":{"rendered":"Collection Focus: The Birth of Copper (1675 Charles II Farthing)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My journey backwards through time has landed in the 17th Century, specifically the Restoration period of Charles II<\/strong>. This coin represents the “Genesis” of my copper collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before this era, the King would only mint gold and silver. If you wanted to buy a loaf of bread, you had to rely on unofficial, often illegal, local tokens. In 1672, Charles II finally authorized the minting of official copper Farthings and Halfpennies, struck by machine rather than by hand. This 1675 example is one of those early, pioneering pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Historical Context: The Kingdom of England<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is important to make a distinction here: this is an\u00a0English<\/strong>\u00a0coin, not a British one. Struck in 1675, this coin pre-dates the 1707 Acts of Union that politically joined England and Scotland into “Great Britain.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the reverse legend proudly proclaims BRITANNIA<\/strong> (reviving the Roman personification of the island), this coin was legal tender specifically for the Kingdom of England. At this time, Scotland was still an independent kingdom with its own distinct currency system (minting coins like the “Bodle” and the “Bawbee” in Edinburgh). This coin represents the final decades of the distinct English currency before the inevitable unification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Carolus a Carolo”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Latin legend on the obverse reads\u00a0CAROLVS A CAROLO<\/em>\u2014”Charles from Charles.” This was a potent political statement. After the execution of his father (Charles I) and the rule of Oliver Cromwell, Charles II was emphasizing his direct, legitimate line of succession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coin: 1675 Charles II Farthing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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