de for the Privy
Council a model penny, halfpenny, and farthing, but red-tapeism delayed
the order until 1797, when he began coining for the Government
twopennies (only for one year), pennies, halfpennies and farthings,
continuing to do so until 1806, by which time he had sent out not less
than 4,200 tons weight. In this coinage of 1797 the penny was made of
the exact weight of 1 oz., the other coins being in proportion. In 1799,
eighteen pennies were struck out of the pound of metal, but the people
thought they were counterfeit, and would not take them until a
proclamation ordering their circulation, was issued December 9th. They
became used to a deprecation of currency after that, and there was but
very little grumbling in 1805, when Boulton was ordered to divide the
pound of copper into 24 pennies. The machinery of Boulton's mint, with
the collection of dies, pattern coins, tokens, and medals, were sold by
auction in 1850. The collection should have numbered 119 different
pieces, but there was not a complete set for sale. The mint, however,
could not be called extinct, as Messrs. Watt and Co. (successors to
Bolton and Watt), who had removed to Smethwick in 1848, struck over
3,300 tons of copper and bronze coin between 1860 and 1866, mostly for
Foreign countries. The first English copper penny (1797) was struck in
Birmingham, and so was the last. Messrs. Ralph Heaton and Son (the mint,
Warstone Line) receiving the contract in April, 1853. for 500 tons of
copper coin, comprising pence, half-pence, farthings, half-farthings,
and quarter-farthings. The present bronze coinage came into use December
1st, 1860, and Messrs. Heaton have had several contracts therefor since
then. This firm has acquired a reputation quite equal to the Soho Mint,
and hive supplied the coins--silver, copper, and bronze--for Belgium,
Canada, China, Chili, Denmark, Germany, Hayti, India, Republic of
Columbia, Sarawak, Sweden, Tunis, Turkey, Tuscany, Venezuela, and other
Principalities and States, including hundreds of tons of silver blanks
for our own Government and others, sending workmen and machinery to the
countries where it was preferred to have the coins struck at home.
Boulton, in his day, supplied the presses and machinery for the Mint on
Tower Hill (and they are still in use), as well as for the Danish,
Spanish, and Russian authorities. Mexico, Calcutta, Bombay, &c. Messrs.
Heaton, and the modern Soho firm, also dealing in such articles.
Fo