BRITISH, Hanover. George III, 1760-1820. Dollar (Silver, 41 mm, 26.64 g, 12 h), so-called 'Bank of England Token'. Struck on a Spanish Colonial 8 Reales, Handsworth (Birmingham), 1804. GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX. Laureate and draped bust of George III to right. Rev. BANK OF - ENGLAND / FIVE SHILLINGS / DOLLAR Britannia seated left between beehive and cornucopia, holding olive branch in her right hand and spear in her left, 1804 below. Bull 1951. ESC 164. SCBC 3768. Beautifully toned. Some scratches and gouges, otherwise, very fine.


This type was introduced in response to the unpopularity of the countermarked Spanish Colonial 8 Reales (see lot no. 3288). They were produced at the modern Soho Mint in Birmingham. For this purpose, the disliked Spanish Colonial 8 Reales were overstruck with the new Bank of England design. All of these overstrikes bear the date 1804; however, they continued to be struck without change until 1811 and were finally demonetized in 1818.