Part 3
Thirteen Pence to the Shilling
Queen Victoria Bronze Issues


From the Shield on an 1870 Proof One Thirteenth of a Shilling

From the Shield on an 1870 Proof One Thirteenth of a Shilling

Since the price of copper was becoming expensive, it was decided by the States to change the metal composition of their coinage. On December 8, 1864, £2000 worth of bronze coins (or as the act reads “as the copper money lately coined in England”) was authorized. These bronze coins have a coroneted bust, an oak-leaf scroll, and the denomination written instead of using a fraction. The initial 1866 issue consisted of 173,333 pence and 173,333 halfpence, which equates to £1000. As for the old copper coins, an act, dated January 29, 1869, ordered their withdrawal for recoining into the new bronze coins.

It was during this time, that the merchants of Jersey were getting frustrated with having 13 pence to the shilling instead of the English standard of 12 pence to the shilling. The Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury on March 15, 1870 recommended to the States whether advantage should be taken at this time to assimilate the bronze coinage of Jersey with that of the United Kingdom. On March 31, 1870 the response was that the “States of the Island are not disposed to change the nominal value of their copper coinage.”¹ Finally on February 25, 1876, at act passed stating that Jersey coinage would be denominated as a 12th, 24th, and 48th of a shilling following the English standard. The old coins based upon 13 pence to the shilling were demonetized on December 31, 1876.²

From the “The Antiquary” of August 12, 1871

Things to note about this series:

The metal content is 95% copper, 4% tin, and 1% zinc.
The legend on the reverse is now divided by stops (not colons).
The coinages of 1870 and 1871 were minted from the metal obtained from the old withdrawn copper coins.³
The total nominal value of the coins for each year is £1000. For a quick look and comparison of the mintage figures, visit the “Mintage Information” site.
There are various die varieties for most of these coins. Review the “The Rarity of Various Jersey Coins” site for this information.
For more information about Jersey during this time, you can read the article “The Channel Islands”, which appeared in the June 1875 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine.
Although, the act of 1864 required bronze coins, the 1865 proof coins were minted in copper.

The metal content is 95% copper, 4% tin, and 1% zinc.
The legend on the reverse is now divided by stops (not colons).
The coinages of 1870 and 1871 were minted from the metal obtained from the old withdrawn copper coins.³
The total nominal value of the coins for each year is £1000.
Although the act of 1864 requested bronze coins, the 1865 proof coins were minted in copper.

The Obverse from an 1866 One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling
Note the striations beneath the chin and the curl.

One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling 1866, 1870, and 1871

One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling
1866, 1870, and 1871

    Year    J#    KM#   Mintage  Diameter     
    1866    39     4    173,333    24.25            
    1870    40          173,333    24.25             
    1871    41          173,333    24.30

In The Standard Catalog of World Coins, Krause states the mintages for both the half penny and penny for 1870 and 1871 as 160,000. Unfortunately, Krause used 12 pence to the shilling instead of the correct 13 pence to the shilling to compute their numbers. Pridmore, Marshall-Fraser, and McCammon all agree that the correct number should be 173,333.

Things to note:

The weight of this coin corresponds with the English bronze halfpenny but the size is 1.2 mm smaller.
There are no initials of the designer on the truncation.
The denomination now appears as words instead of a fraction.
There are several die cracks on some of the dies used for the 1866 issue,
Striations are visible on the obverse of the 1866 and 1870 issues due to die clashing.
On the 1871 issue, the leopards have incuse spots and the shield is redecorated.
Most 1871 coins are weakly struck.
Proofs exist for all issues.

Some Reviews
Concerning the Coins and Banknotes

From “The GentleMan's Magazine” of July 1866

From “Frasier's Magazine New Series,
Volume XII,
July To December 1875”

One Thirteenth of a Shilling 1866, 1870, and 1871

One Thirteenth of a Shilling
1866, 1870, and 1871

    Year    J#    KM#   Mintage  Diameter     
    1866     9     5    173,333   29.35            
    1870    10          173,333   29.35              
    1871    11          173,333   29.35

Things to note:

Although the weight corresponds with the English bronze penny, the size is 1.6 mm smaller.
Unlike the one twenty-sixth of a shilling coin, the initials of L.C.W. for Leonard Charles Wyon are incused on the truncation.
The denomination now appears as a word instead of a fraction.
Striations are also visible on the obverse of the 1870 and 1871 issues.
On some varieties of the 1870 issue, many items are repunched.
Proofs exist for all issues. There are two varieties for the 1866 proof coin, with and without LCW on the bust.


From the Shield on an 1871 Proof One Thirteenth of a Shilling

The Obverse from an 1870 One Thirteenth of a Shilling

The Reverse from an 1870 One Thirteenth of a Shilling

The Obverse from an 1871 One Thirteenth of a Shilling

reverse of the 1871 penny

The Reverse from an 1871 One Thirteenth of a Shilling

international banknote

The International Bank operated from 1865 through 1868

The 1870 One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling

1. HO 45/8231, Jersey: Coinage: substitution of bronze for copper and the suggestion that the islands' coinage assimilate that of England. 1869 - 1870. Home Office Papers, The Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.

2. W. A. Browne, The Merchants' Handbook of Money, Weights and Measures, with their British Equivalents (London, 1879). p. 22.

3. Lobel, Davidson, Hailstone, and Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of the Coins of Scotland, Ireland, Channel Islands & Isle of Man (London: Polestar Wheatons Ltd., 1999). pp. 320 and 321.

From the Shield on an 1871 Proof One Thirteenth of a Shilling

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Part 3Thirteen Pence to the ShillingQueen Victoria Bronze Issues

One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling1866, 1870, and 1871

One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling1866, 1870, and 1871

Some ReviewsConcerning the Coins and Banknotes

One Thirteenth of a Shilling1866, 1870, and 1871

One Thirteenth of a Shilling1866, 1870, and 1871

Part 3
Thirteen Pence to the Shilling
Queen Victoria Bronze Issues

One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling
1866, 1870, and 1871

One Twenty-Sixth of a Shilling
1866, 1870, and 1871

Some Reviews
Concerning the Coins and Banknotes

One Thirteenth of a Shilling
1866, 1870, and 1871

One Thirteenth of a Shilling
1866, 1870, and 1871