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William Wyon's coinage bust of William IV

William IV's British coinage , struck between 1831 and 1837, ranged from the double sovereign to the third farthing, though the former was not minted for circulation and the latter only for colonial use. The coins have an obverse (pictured) by William Wyon based on a sketch by Francis Chantrey, and reverses by Wyon and Jean Baptiste Merlen, both of the Royal Mint. Preparation began even before William became king in June 1830, probably because Wyon wanted to head off a potential challenge from Benedetto Pistrucci. Wyon's work was viewed by the king, who liked it and ordered it to be used for all coins during his reign. Final designs were approved in early 1831, and coining began that year. In addition to the issues for use in Britain, several small denominations were struck for colonial use. Two of these, the half farthing and silver threepence, were later issued for use in Britain. William's reign saw no great innovations in coinage, but marked the start of reform at the Royal Mint. ( Full article... )

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June 13

Aftermath of the June 2011 Christchurch earthquake

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