Anchor coinage struck for British colonies (1820–1822)

The anchor coinage was a series of silver coins issued for British colonies in 1820 and 1822. These coins featured a crowned anchor on the obverse and were denominated as fractions of the dollar. The denominations included sixteenth, eighth, quarter, and half-dollars, marked by Roman numerals. The Royal Mint, located in London at the time, produced these coins for colonial use.

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Background and detail

Background. The Royal Mint, the United Kingdom's official maker of British coins, operated within the Tower of London for several hundred years before moving to what is now called Royal Mint Court, where it remained until the 1960s. As Britain's influence as a world power expanded and colonies were established abroad, a greater need for currency led the Royal Mint to open satellite branches overseas. The anchor coinage was a series of silver coins issued for use in some British colonies in 1820 and 1822.

Design and Denominations. The name 'anchor coinage' derives from the crowned anchor depicted on the obverse of the coins. The series consisted of four denominations: sixteenth, eighth, quarter, and half-dollars. These values were indicated by the Roman numerals XVI, VIII, IV, and II on each side of the anchor. The coins were struck in silver and denominated in fractions of the dollar.

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