Cartwheel Penny, George III (Bargain Grade) – 1797 – Great Britain Cheap New Styles

These coins are low grade, meaning that they may have holes, markings, corrosion, and other types of wear. However, we’ve discounted them accordingly!

You will not receive a coin that is too worn or damaged to recognize.

 These copper “cartwheel” pennies were one of the largest English copper coins to ever circulate, alongside the even larger cartwheel two pence. They were produced under King George III, who was king of Great Britain during the American Revolution.

The coins earned their “cartwheel” nickname from both their large size and thick outer rim, which were thought to resemble a wooden cart wheel. They were issued to address Britain’s coin shortage, which came as a result of silver pennies no longer being produced. The government authorized Matthew Boulton, a businessman and manufacturer, to begin striking copper pennies and twopence in Soho, Birmingham.

The obverse shows King George III and the reverse shows a seated Britannia, the symbolic personification of Britain. While all the coins were struck with the date 1797, they were actually produced for a few years after that date as well.