William III - Shilling 1689-1702 AD

William III 1689-1702 AD

In 1696, under William III, there was a recoinage of the silver denominations, to coincide with the withdrawal of the old hammered coins. This necessitated the setting up of provincial mints at Bristol, Chester, Exeter, Norwich and York until 1698 to produce the large quantities required. After the Union of England and Scotland, the mint at Edinburgh operated briefly in conjunction with the mint in London.

Mint           Mintmark                                  Period
Bristol               B                        September 1696 - September 1698
Chester             C                        October 1696 - June 1698
Exeter               E                        August 1696 - July 1698
Norwich           N                        September 1696 - April 1698
York                 Y                        September 1696 - April 1698
Edinburgh         E                                       1707-1709

Obverse:
Bust of William facing right, the absence of any mintmark below the bust denotes that this coin was struck at the Royal mint.
The obverse inscription reads:     GULIELMUS (GVLIELMVS) III DEI GRA
Reverse:
Crowned cruciform shields, plain, or with four roses or four plumes in the angles