Sir C. W. Freemantle kindly gives me the following information
respecting copper coins minted and supplied for currency in Guernsey:--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
| DENOMINATIONS SUPPLIED.
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 8
| DOUBLE.|DOUBLES. |DOUBLES.| DOUBLES.
|L s. d. |L s. d. |L s. d.| L s. d.
| | | |
[I]Copper of date 1830--Values sent |858 13 4 | |420 0 0|
[I]Additional sent in 1831 | | |420 0 0|
| | | |
[I]Copper of date 1834--Values sent | | | |410 13 4
[I]Additional sent in 1836 | | |105 0 0|102 13 4
[I] " " " 1837 | | |210 0 0|205 6
[I] " " " 1839 | | |210 0 0|205 6 8
| | | |
[J]Copper of date 1858--Values sent | |58 9 0|237 12 6|464 7 0
| | | |
[J]Bronze of date 1864--Values sent | | |218 18 0|463 8 0
[J]Additional sent in 1865 | | |224 16 0|723 0 0
[K]Bronze of date 1868--Values sent |33 10 6 | 36 2 10|120 4 0|228 0 0
| | | |
[K]Bronze of date 1874--Values sent | | 48 2 0|144 4 0|305 4 0
| | | |
[L]Bronze of date 1885--Values sent |29 4 6 | 74 5 0|145 4 0|290 8 0
| | | |
[L]Bronze of date 1889--Values sent |58 6 6 | 37 2 0|217 12 0|924 16 0
| | | |
[L]Bronze of date 1893--Values sent |29 3 6 | |108 16 0|490 0 0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[I] Coinage executed by Messrs. R. Boulton & Co., Soho, Birmingham.
[J] Coinage executed by Messrs. Henry Joy & Co.
[K] Coinage executed by Messrs. Partridge & Co., Birmingham.
[L] Coinage executed by Messrs. Heaton & Sons (now "The Mint,"
Birmingham, Limited).
The type of all the above copper and bronze issues for Guernsey remains
generally the same, there being, of course, specified the various dates
and differences for value.
The description of one coin, as following, will therefore answer in
general terms for the whole of the issues:--
_O._ The Guernsey Arms [_gules_, three lions passant gardant _or_],
surmounted by a sprig of three laurel leaves, the whole within two
laurel branches fastened by a ribbon, and with GUERNSEY under.
_R._ 8 |DOUBLES| 1834, in three lines. Minor points, such as the
omission or insertion of the wreath of laurel and the beaded circle,
are fully described in the works of Mr. James Atkins[M] and of Mr. D.
F. Howorth[N], and need not therefore be repeated here.
[M] "The Coins and Tokens of the Possessions and Colonies of the British
Empire," by James Atkins. Published by Bernard Quaritch, 15, Piccadilly.
1889.
[N] "Coins and Tokens of the English Colonies and Dependencies," by
Daniel F. Howorth, F.S.A., Scot. Published by Swan Sonnenschein & Co.,
Paternoster Square, 1890.
P. Briard, Esq., makes the following interesting communication
respecting the "Double" from information he obtained from Guernsey:--
"The present Guernsey "Double" owes its name to an ancient French coin
which became later the "Liard," and equals the 1/4th part of a sou. I
see, by an ordinance passed in the year 1763, the following clause:--
"'Que les paiements qui se firont en Liards de France ou Grand-Doubles
seront sur le pied de seulement de six Liards ou Grand-Doubles par sol
tournois.'
"By another ordinance of more than a century before--viz., in 1626--I
find these words: 'D'autant qu' a present, le pais estant rempli de
_Doubles_ apportis par les estrangers, plusieurs demeurent charges de
grande quantite d'iceux doubles qu'ils ne peuvent mettre ny debiter a
leur grande perte et dommage. A este ordonne que dormavent seul recevant
argent, ne sera tenu en prendre a plus de la valeur de deux sous par
escu sur l'argent qu'il recevra.'
"In the margin opposite this ordinance there is insertion of the words
'Doubles ou Liards,' thus showing decisively that with us in Guernsey a
Double was a Liard, and a Liard a Double. In France, however, in ancient
coinage a Liard was the fourth part of a Sou, and a Double intrinsically
held of slightly higher value. We have kept the value of the Double to
be the same as that of the Liard--that is to say, our Guernsey
half-penny is _quatre doubles_, and our penny _huit doubles_.'"