Description
GOOD VF, A LOT, SOLD AS IS. This coin was the first in England to be minted on a steam powered press. The press was designed by James Watt and Mathew Boulton, both pioneers in British steam technology. The coinage was struck at their Soho Manufactory near Boulton’s home in Handsworth on the outskirts of Birmingham. The steam engine technology used to power the coining press was applied to many other uses and became synonymous with engines used to power steam trains, paddle steamers and all manner of manufacturing equipment. The Boulton and Watt steam engine had a major role in powering the Industrial Revolution that began in Britain and spread to the rest of the world. Sadly, the Cartwheel Penny and its larger Twopenny counterpart were not as successful. As the value of bullion copper increased, they were worth more in the smelting pot than at face value. Although Britannia had long appeared on the halfpenny and farthing, the 1797 coinage was the first time she was depicted ruling the waves, an allegory for Britain’s status as a maritime power.