Sharon J. writes: My son found a coin that we have not been able to find information about. On one side it has a picture of a man and the words GEORGIUSII DEI-GRATIA and the word Lima under the head. The reverse side it has four shields with different pictures in each shied and one picture in the center of the four shields. The lettering is hard to make out but each section is separated by crowns and the only numbers on the coin are 17 45. Can you give me information?
You have either a 1745 silver 6 pence (dime size) or silver shilling (quarter size) from Great Britain. There are also gold 1/2 guinea, guinea and 5 Guinea coins with “Lima” below the bust but with a crown shield on the reverse.
The obverse of the coin shows a bust of King George II facing left. The Latin legend GEORIVS II DEI GRATIA (George II By The Grace of G-d) is around.
The reverse shows the date 1745 separated by a Crown, the shield of Great Britain’s domains are below. The abbreviated Latin Legend continues from the obverse and is around the rim: M.B.F ET H. REX.FD.B.ET.LD.SRI.A.T.ET.E = Magnae Britannieae, Franciae ET Hiberniae REX Fidei Defensor Brunsviciensis ET Luneburgensis Dux, Sacri Romani Imperii Archi-Thesaurarius ET Elector
Translation: King of Great Britain, France (Normandy) and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, High Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire .
The word “Lima” under the bust represents that the silver was captured in raids on the Spanish settlements in the New World in what now is Peru. (All of Latin American sans Brazil was called El Peru. Individual countries independent from Spain didn’t emerge in South and Central America until the 19th century.) The state of war between England and Spain was normal state of affairs for more than a century.
The value of your coin depends on the grade (state of preservation), the denomination and the variety (there are overdates such a s 1746/5) Range for the silver denominations: $10 – $500.
