Charles II milled silver: 1662 and the end of hammering
The 1662 milled reform. Machine-struck coinage, edge denticulation and lettering, and how a milled Charles II shilling differs from a hammered one.
1662 is the categorical boundary in English coinage. Before 1662 every English coin was struck by hand — flans cut from sheet silver, two dies, and a hammer. From 1662 onwards every English coin was struck by machine — uniform round flans, edge-milling, sharp portrait engraving. The Charles II milled coinage is where this technological change becomes visible as a detector find.
Why 1662 matters
Two pressures drove the milled reform. First, hammered coins could be (and routinely were) clipped — tiny shavings of silver cut from the rim and accumulated for melting. Charles I’s hammered silver shillings often weigh substantially less than the official 5.5–6.5 g standard because clipping had taken its toll. Second, milled technology — rolling mills, screw presses, edge-marking dies — was available and had been demonstrated by Briot under Charles I and by Pierre Blondeau under the Commonwealth and the Restoration. The 1662 reform finally committed the Royal Mint to it.
Identifying a milled coin from a hammered one
| Feature | Hammered (pre-1662) | Milled (1662+) |
|---|---|---|
| Flan shape | Irregular round; occasional lozenge / square; cut for halves and quarters | Uniform machine-cut round disc |
| Edge | Plain, often slightly bevelled or clipped | Denticulated, graining, or lettered (DECVS ET TVTAMEN) |
| Strike | Varies by hammer blow; some areas off-flan | Even strike pressure, full design coverage |
| Portrait | Hand-engraved, varying quality | Fine machine-engraved, consistent quality |
| Legend | Often partially off-flan or weakly struck | Consistently legible and well-aligned |
| Weight | Variable; often clipped below standard | Tight tolerance, matches mint specification |
Charles II milled silver denominations
The four busts of Charles II milled
Charles II milled silver runs from 1663 to 1685, with four successive bust types catalogued by Spink. Each was used for a few years before redesign:
- First bust (1663–67): laureate, draped, short-cropped hair. The earliest milled portraits.
- Second bust (1667–70): longer hair, more ornate drapery.
- Third bust (1670–79): characteristic long flowing love-locks, neck-tie. The most common in detector finds.
- Fourth bust (1679–85): refined late style; the king appears older.
Maundy money and minor denominations
Charles II’s milled coinage introduced the regular series of small Maundy silver (penny, twopence, threepence, fourpence) that was distributed by the monarch on Maundy Thursday. These are small (10–19 mm), well-struck, and turn up regularly as detector finds. They’re often confused with hammered pennies by the inexperienced; the giveaway is the machine-perfect circular edge and consistent strike.
Edge legends and security features
Charles II crowns and halfcrowns carry an edge legend reading DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI(“an ornament and a safeguard, in the year of the reign”) followed by the regnal year in Roman numerals. The Latin edge inscription remained in use on British crowns until the modern era. Lower denominations get edge graining (small vertical ridges) rather than a full inscription — cheaper to apply but still effective against clipping.
The transition is irrevocable
After 1662 no significant hammered silver was struck in England. The Royal Mint kept the machinery in continuous use, and from William III (1689–1702) onwards milled silver is the only circulation coinage. Hammered silver remains in active circulation for decades after 1662 — recoinage drives in 1696–99 finally pulled the worst-worn hammered coins out of use and reissued them as milled crowns and halfcrowns under William III.
Procedural identification
- Confirm milled: uniform round flan, edge milling or denticulation visible, sharp portrait detail.
- Read the legend.
CAROLVS IIon Charles II milled. (CAROLVSalone without II could be hammered Charles I or II — check flan.) - Identify the bust type(1st–4th) by hair and drapery style.
- Read the date, typically on the reverse below the shield or on the edge.
- Check the edgeif visible — graining / lettering confirms milled and may carry regnal year.
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