George III AD 1760-1820 Silver Northumberland Shilling AD 1763

George III AD 1760-1820 Silver Shilling AD 1763

Northumberland Issue

Young laureate and draped bust / Crowned cruciform of shields

S3742, 25mm, 6.24g

A high grade and most pleasing example of this iconic coinage.

In AD 1763 the Royal Mint produced an issue of 100,000 shillings. When Hugh, 2nd Earl of Northumberland, was installed as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in AD 1763 £100 worth of these shillings were distributed to the people of Dublin. Henceforth they were known as Northumberland shillings.

Grandson of George II he married Charlotte of Mecklenburg with whom he had 15 children. He remains our longest reigning king and is remembered as the king who lost the American colonies as well as for his madness. Nevertheless the country was transformed during his reign during which the Industrial Revolution largely took place during the reign. This resulted in an increase in trade and wealth. Great Britain emerged victorious from the Napoleonic Wars where victory at the naval battle of Trafalgar had given Britain supremacy at sea. This allowed the vast expansion of the British Empire which took place during the 19th Century.

Whilst little silver or copper coinage was issued during the reign there were five issues of gold guinea coinage minted before the great recoinage took place in AD 1816.