The Heaton Mint

[Globetrotter]

Yes, worn but something's there! I think your red line masked that spot in the first picture. Do we know what the Bombay mint's contribution to the post-1915 Egyptian coinage was?

I'm looking for it now, but in search I found this

Until later
Ole

[Globetrotter]

Hi,

I've put the 1 & 2 milliemes together here.

Ole

[Globetrotter]

Hi,

and here three from Guernsey.

Ole

[mrbadexample]

That 1903 4 doubles is nice Ole, and quite a scarce coin.

[Globetrotter]

Hi,

just got it in a trade for 3.00 US$.

Ole

[Globetrotter]

Hi,

here is my only one from Jersey.

Ole

[mrbadexample]

I was going to post that one today to go with the Guernsey issues, but you've beaten me to it.

All the Channel Islands coinage produced by Heatons have the single letter H mintmark.
Unlike Guernsey, a customer of the Birmingham mint from at least 1885 to 1949, the only Jersey issues were those of 1877. I don't have the 1/24 shilling, but here is the 1/48 shilling:

[Globetrotter]

Hi,

here is the 1/24 shilling

Ole

[mrbadexample]

Heatons produced some coinage for the Straits Settlements between 1872-1908. All had the characteristic H mintmark.

Sweeny notes that this 1907H dollar was a recoinage "in which old 416 grain dollars (Y25) were converted into new 312 grain dollars and 156 grain 50 cents." Can someone tell me exactly what he means by "converted"? How was that achieved?
Cheers,
MBE

[Figleaf]

He speaketh of the currency, not the coins in circulation.

The following applies to the silver coins of the Straits Settlements. As background, remember that since the Napoleonic wars, coins were standard coins or small change. The standard coins were supposed to be full weight. They could be freely minted (at a fee) and melted. Small change was token coin. It could at all times be exchanged for standard coins, but it was not full weight, could not be minted freely and was legal tender only up to a number of coins specified in the law.

From Victorian times to 1907, the 50 cent coin was the standard coin of the Straits. Silver coins had the same silver content (sc) and pro rata weight. In 1902, a dollar coin was added with the characteristics of the British trade dollar: somewhat less than the double weight and a higher sc as the 50 cents, so it was a second standard coin, but on a different standard. This made a silver arbitrage possible, as a dollar contained pro rata about 10% more silver than a 50 cents. In other words, if you would melt 9 dollars, you could produce about 20 coins of 50 cents. If mint fee and melting cost were low enough, dollars would have disappeared. Since the dollars are cheaper than the 50 cents, the arbitrage was presumably not workable in practice.

The reform of 1907 devalued the Straits dollar by 1/4th, the 50 cents was jacked up to the same sc but reduced in weight to half of the new dollar, so it remained a standard coin. The sc of the other silver coins was lowered, but their weight was unchanged.

For the sake of completeness, another reform was carried through after the first world war. The standard coins were lowered in weight by around 1/6th and silver content was lowered to the point where the coins would have started to look cheap after a bit of wear from circulation. Again, the weight of the small change remained the same.

The last reform was made in 1926. The sc was restored to the level of 1907 without changing weight. No standard coins were struck, possibly because the standard of 1907 had become impractical or because all coins had become small change.

denomination	dollar	.	50 cents	.	20 cents	.	10 cents	.	5 cents	.
period	weight	sc	weight	sc	weight	sc	weight	sc	weight	sc
1902-05	26.95	900	13.5769	800	5.43	800	2.71	800	1.36	800
1907-17	20.21	900	10.1	900	5.43	600	2.71	600	1.36	600
1918-26	16.85	500	8.42	500	5.43	400	2.71	400	1.36	400
1926-35	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.	5.43	600	2.71	600	1.36	600

Peter

[mrbadexample]

Thanks Peter. I was scratching my head thinking of a physical conversion of the coins. 

[mrbadexample]

Sarawak 1 cent 1937.

Although the Birmingham Mint was contracted to produce all of Sarawak's coinage after 1841, some of the work was subcontracted to the King's Norton Mint (ICI). In this case, half of the 3 000 000 minted were made by ICI so this one has only a 50/50 chance of being a Heaton product despite carrying the H mintmark.

[mrbadexample]

Uruguay 4 centesimos, 1869. H mintmark. Mintage 6 250 000. Sometimes incorrectly attributed to La Rochelle Mint which also used an H mintmark but was closed before this was issued. This one is sadly a bit lumpy.

[mrbadexample]

Morocco, 10 mazunas AH 1320 (1902). The Heatons minted 1 200 000 of these when Morocco's currency was reformed during the reign of Sultan Abdul Aziz I.

Probably the most unusual of the Heaton mintmarks, I am led to believe it reads "In England". Is that right?

[Figleaf]

It should be read togther with the two lines above: ضرب بانڭلند, zarb fi bi angland - struck in England. This is not an usual way to present the mint in the Arabic tradition.

Peter