Guadeloupe, George III, 9 Livres
9 Shillings - Undated (1811) - Silver - VF(30-35)
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Bust of Charles IV of Spain, laureate, right.
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Spain between two columns.
Coin of 9 Livres (or 9 Shillings, or a Piastre gourde) reformed on a coin of 8 reales 1796-Mo F-M, Mexico of Charles IV. Old cleaning. The portrait is partially worn by circulation, the reverse remains well preserved. Minted following the monetary reform by decree of May 1811 following the seizure of Guadeloupe by the English the previous year. Countermarked with a crowned G (for Guadeloupe, or George III) on the obverse under the second A of ‘GRATIA’ and on the crown on the reverse. Pierced from the reverse with a central crenellated square hole to obtain a reduced coin of 9 livres, i.e. 1/9 of the initial weight, and permitting to obtain a central square coin which became the ‘moco’ of 20 sous (1 livre). They were produced using around 10,000 Spanish-American piastres (dollars). An extremely interesting example, illustrating the short monetary history of Guadeloupe under English rule during the Napoleonic Wars, which extended to the West Indian colonies. These colonial coins were devalued and demonetised after 1817, when the island of Guadeloupe returned to France after 1816, although they continued to circulate for several years thereafter. Prid-2; EL-G1; Gad-30; VG-1041.
CAROLUS • IIII • / DEI • GRATIA • / • 1796•
HISPAN • ET IND • REX • Mo • 8R • F • M •
23.37 gr
Silver
Silver can fall into your pocket but also falls between copper and gold in group 11 of the periodic table. Three metals frequently used to mint coins. There are two good reasons for using silver: it is a precious metal and oxidizes little upon contact with air. Two advantages not to be taken for granted.
Here is thus a metal that won’t vanish into thin air.
It’s chemical symbol Ag is derived from the Latin word for silver (argentum), compare Ancient Greek ἄργυρος (árgyros). Silver has a white, shiny appearance and, to add a little bit of esotericism or polytheism to the mix, is traditionally dedicated to the Moon or the goddess Artemis (Diana to the Romans).
As a precious metal, just like gold, silver is used to mint coins with an intrinsic value, meaning their value is constituted by the material of which they are made. It should be noted that small quantities of other metals are frequently added to silver to make it harder, as it is naturally very malleable (you can’t have everything) and thus wears away rapidly.
The first silver coins probably date back to the end of the 7th century BC and were struck on the Greek island of Aegina. These little beauties can be recognized by the turtle featured on the reverse.
The patina of silver ranges from gray to black.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of silver included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ silver or 999 parts of silver per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
