King George III copper coins are rare finds from the perspective of the Australian metal detectorist. Below I have compiled photos, mintage and specifications of those coins.
George III ascended the throne in 1760 and reigned for the next 60 years. His reign included famous wars such as the American War of Independence and the Napoleonic wars culminating at the Battle of Waterloo.
There was a distinct set of coins minted during his reign known as Maundy money. I will not cover it here but it was a coinage meant for distribution by the Royals as part of a religious ceremony. It was not used in general currency but it is considered a collectible in its own right.
The coins of King George III are the oldest British currency we should expect to find here in Australia. At the beginning of King George’s reign, there was a shortage of coins in circulation in Britain. Although there were mintages of halfpennies and farthings from 1770 – 1775, they were not minted in large numbers. Pennies prior to 1797 had all been minted in silver but due to the rising price of silver, this was no longer viable.
King George III in 1797 issued a private contract to Matthew Boulton and his Soho mint to begin the minting of pure copper pennies, each weighing one ounce of copper. There were also a smaller number of two pence coins made from two ounces of copper. These new copper pennies were known as cartwheel pennies, I have written a separate blog about them due to their uniqueness.
In 1799 Boulton was again given a contract, this time to mint copper halfpennies and farthings in great number. The next mintage of copper coins was in 1806 and 1807 when pennies, halfpennies, and farthings were again made in large numbers. No more copper coins were then made until 1821 when George IV came into power.
1797 Cartwheel penny
During the year
There may be halfpennies and farthings pre-1799 to be found in Australia but it is unlikely. Sailors may well have carried them but currency was being taken out of the colony rather than being spent here. With the large amount of 1797 and 1799 coins brought in, there is a chance that sooner or later you will come across one.
I was lucky enough to find a 1799 halfpenny on the N.S.W. south coast in 2018. It was quite worn but it had probably spent the best part of two hundred years on the beach. My find is shown in the bottom images of the next set of photos, the wear is obvious in comparison. The dark green patina from the pure copper separates these coins from the bronze pennies we typically find.
1799 Halfpenny
1799 Farthing
The next recorded shipment of copper coins to Australia was in 1827 when the Brothers brought ten tons of copper coins to the colony, along with 161 female convicts. It was British policy to collect worn coins to send to the colonies, so it is likely that many of the copper coins were from the 1806/7 mintage.
1806 Penny
Back in 2017, I was detecting around an old farm near the Onkaparinga River in South Australia when I found an 1806 halfpenny that still had a clear date (top coin below). In late 2018 my dad also picked one up while detecting in Victoria near the Wimmera River (bottom coin below). There were millions of these coins brought into the country in the 1820’s so there is a good chance you will eventually find one. However, since they may have been worn before they even arrived, finding one in good condition might be a lot harder.
1806 Farthing
As you can see from the images above there is
| George III Pennies | Mintage | Weight | Diameter |
| 1797 | 8,601,600 | 28.3g | 36mm |
| 1806 | unknown – not scarce | 18.9g | 35mm |
| 1807 | unknown – not scarce | 18.9g | 35mm |
| George III Halfpenny | Mintage | Weight | Diameter |
| 1799 | unknown – not scarce | 12.66g | 31mm |
| 1806 | unknown – not scarce | 9.43g | 29mm |
| 1807 | unknown – not scarce | 9.43g | 29mm |
| George III Farthing | Mintage | Weight | Diameter |
| 1799 | unknown – not scarce | 5.8 – 6.6g | 23.5mm |
| 1806 | unknown – semi-scarce | 4.7g | 21mm |
| 1807 | unknown – not scarce | 4.7g | 21mm |