Coin circulation figures for Elizabeth i

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Peter, any idea if there are figures around for the amount of particular denomination coins during a reign ?

[The Doc]

I don't think the number of coins struck is known in detail - or if it is, I haven't seen the figures. The number of smaller denomination coins produced was very large. This information is from Rod Blunt at UKDFD:


For earlier coins, the figure for the 1279/81 recoinage of Edward I is well over 100 million pennies.

The 1300 recoinage was certainly well over 50 million. You have to remember though, that the 1279/81 recoinage was effected by melting down the long cross coins, and the 1300 recoinage was from the 1279/81 coins that had become worn and clipped in circulation + all the continental imitations, etc.

Another website stated that over 4 million Edward I farthings were struck.

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

Thanks for that Peter. The point I'm trying to make is that  we find 2 pennies, groats, and sixpences in what seems to be a far greater abundance than the smaller farthing and fractional pennies. So we must literally be walking over these coins to get to the larger penny, half groats ect  hammered coins. So its clear, they are there and our machines are just not picking them up due to their size.

And if anyone tells me that they have had a farthing hammered at any deeper than a few inches, well.............theres a word that escapes me right now .

[Whiteduke]

"And if anyone tells me that they have had a farthing hammered at any deeper than a few inches, well.............theres a word that escapes me right now ."

Are you saying its not possible to find one more that a few inches deep,thru your own experience or conjecture?

Ive never seen one nevermind find one,but I'm interested in what you are basing this assumption on.

[Chef Geoff]

"And if anyone tells me that they have had a farthing hammered at any deeper than a few inches, well.............theres a word that escapes me right now ."

Are you saying its not possible to find one more that a few inches deep,thru your own experience or conjecture?

Ive never seen one nevermind find one,but I'm interested in what you are basing this assumption on.

"Mineralisation, pure and simple". All ground is mineralised to a certain extent and this mineralisation is cumulative as depth increases and thereby it's effect becomes stronger the deeper we detect. The very small hammered coins on the other hand start off with a very low conductive signature which weakens as distance from the coil increases. After only a very short depth in average soil the eddy current from the coin and the mineralisation from the soil merge in strengths thus making the coin invisible from it's surroundings.
This is why Pi machines can find these targets at a greater depth, because they are not effected in the same way by mineralisation

[Tafflaff (Rob)]

"And if anyone tells me that they have had a farthing hammered at any deeper than a few inches, well.............theres a word that escapes me right now ."

Are you saying its not possible to find one more that a few inches deep,thru your own experience or conjecture?

Ive never seen one nevermind find one,but I'm interested in what you are basing this assumption on.

I can only go on my own experiences so far. I've found 2, compared to the other 60 - 70 hammereds of larger denomination. But one only has to look at detecting websites to know that these hammered farthings are found in far less amounts than the larger kind of hammereds - but they would have been used far more often and lost more readily.

The math just does not add up, there has to be loads of these smaller hammered coins still in the ground.

[Whiteduke]

" there has to be loads of these smaller hammered coins still in the ground"


Sounds like they are going to stay there

cheers