HUGE & HEAVY 1797 UK COPPER CARTWHEEL PENNY GEORGE III IN SOUTH AFRICA

Copper coin, slightly pitted on one side, but has brilliant detail - waves ship and union jack on shield are still visible. 180 degree rotated die. The "Cartwheel" coins were struck in coin alignment at Matthew Boulton's mint in Soho, Birmingham using coining presses developed by Boulton and James Watt. The concept behind the broad, raised rim was to protect the coin from undue wear. The incuse legends were supposedly to make life difficult for forgers. The size of the coins was a (successful) attempt to restore confidence to the coinage in that the intrinsic value of the metal plus an allowance for the cost of production was equal to the nominal value of the coin.   Please note - I am not a numismatist but, from my research, I believe this coin is dated and identified correctly. Although I take great care in packaging, the buyer is responsible for loss, non-arrival or damage incurred during delivery.