April 12, 2026
Jersey Bronze Coinage of 1923 Correspondence and Timeline
Royal Mint file 647/23 — from initial enquiry to final payment
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Origins
Authority
Design
Approval
Delivery
Payment
| Date | Phase | From | To | Summary | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 — Origins | |||||
| 1 May 1923 | Origins | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Master of the Royal MintLondon E.1 | Enquires whether French bronze coins in circulation in Jersey could be melted down and re-minted as Jersey copper coinage. Requests approximate cost per £100. Encloses samples of French coinage. The founding letter of the whole project. | 647/23 |
| 7 May 1923 | Origins | Deputy Master & ComptrollerRoyal Mint | Treasurer of the StatesJersey | Confirms willingness to re-mint the French bronze. Quotes rates: Halfpence £11.4.0 per £100; Pence £19.4.0 per £100 (later found transposed). Notes GPO holds ~400 lbs of similar foreign coins available for £24. The transposed rates will require correction in January 1924. | 647/23 |
| May 1923 | Origins | Internal memoRoyal Mint | Col. R. A. JohnsonRoyal Mint | GPO stock assessed: 14,212 French + 3,194 Italian + 2,750 miscellaneous pieces ≈ 20,000 coins ≈ 400 lbs. Also ~5½ lbs old copper coin and ~4½ lbs fused coin. Johnson asks Hocking to fill gaps in draft and explore GPO conversion rate. | — |
| 12 Sep 1923 | Origins | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Deputy Master & ComptrollerRoyal Mint | Reports ~£1,400 of French bronze collected. Before forwarding, asks whether the design could be altered to distinguish this issue from the one already made in 1923. Asks whether £5 or £6 bag weights matter. This enquiry triggers the entire design debate. | 647/23 |
| Phase 2 — Authority | |||||
| 9 Oct 1923 | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Bailiff of JerseySir W. H. V. Vernon K.B.E. | Formal request under Act of 31 Oct 1922 (sanctioned in Council 29 Jan 1923) to coin copper to ~£1,400 face value. Same pattern as current issue plus a small star to distinguish; £150 in halfpennies. Encloses copy of Act. | 647/23 | |
| 10 Oct 1923 | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Deputy Master & ComptrollerRoyal Mint | Forwards 72 boxes of French copper coins via L.S.W. Railway (≈ £1,400). Confirms Finance Committee prefers same design with small star. Nota: two boxes contain non-French copper. | 647/23 | |
| 11 Oct 1923 | Maj. Gen. W. Douglas SmithLt. Governor of Jersey | Under Secretary of StateHome Office | Transmits Treasurer's letter to Bailiff (in original), requesting coinage equal to the French copper being forwarded; same pattern plus small star; £150 in halfpennies. | — | |
| 17 Oct 1923 | A. J. EaglestonHome Office, Whitehall | Secretary, TreasuryWhitehall | Cites Act ("Acte pour mettre en circulation de la Monnaie de Bronze…") and Order in Council of 29 Jan 1923. Requests Treasury to place before Lords Commissioners for authority to supply coins (£1,250 pence + £150 halfpennies). Ref. 176131/23. | 176131/23 | |
| 22–23 Oct 1923 | Sydney TurnerTreasury / Royal Mint | Deputy MasterRoyal Mint | Treasury asks whether coinage can proceed without prejudice to Imperial or other sanctioned work. Johnson replies (23 Oct): "The answer is in the affirmative." | S.18309 | |
| 27 Oct 1923 | Lords Commissioners, TreasuryTreasury Chambers | Deputy MasterRoyal Mint | Lords Commissioners grant authority to supply Jersey copper coinage: £1,250 in pennies and £150 in halfpennies, as proposed. Ref. S/18309. The chain of authority is complete. | S/18309 | |
| Phase 3 — Design | |||||
| 20 Sep 1923 | Design | Royal Mint(internal memo) | Treasurer of the StatesJersey | Mint policy memorandum "The New Coinage for Jersey": presents two options — (1) small star above shield at negligible cost; (2) entirely new design via Advisory Committee of Taste. Argues present shield (used since c.1866) is of low artistic merit. Sends lead impression of star option. Argues the result would be a design "commended to the artistic sense of a Committee of experts." | 647/23 |
| 25 Oct 1923 | Design | George Kruger Gray5 St Paul's Studios, W.14 | Col. R. A. JohnsonRoyal Mint | Posts two versions of Conqueror-on-horseback design for Jersey. Notes these are rough ideas rather than adaptations of the actual seal. Observes Roman caps (sans-serif) go "fairly well with the design." Thanks Mint for Latvian plaster models; will return with designs by Tuesday. Kruger Gray is working on Latvian coinage simultaneously. | — |
| 30 Oct 1923 | Design | Deputy Master & ComptrollerRoyal Mint | Treasurer of the StatesJersey | Presses case for new design. Existing shield (c.1866) "of low artistic merit"; proposed star "really meaningless." Advisory Committee prefers William the Conqueror design; also encloses Coat of Arms version. Invites Jersey to choose. | 647/23 |
| 6 Nov 1923 | Design | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Deputy Master & ComptrollerRoyal Mint | Finance Committee selects the Coat of Arms design (not the Conqueror). Returns both designs. Expresses hope the new design choice will not cause great delay to minting. Advisory Committee's preferred Conqueror design is rejected by Jersey. | 647/23 |
| 10 Nov 1923 | Design | Col. R. A. JohnsonRoyal Mint | George Kruger Gray5 St Paul's Studios, W.14 | Commissions two models on armorial lines — one for 1/12 shilling (penny), one for 1/24 shilling (halfpenny). Date to be 1923. Models not to exceed 4" diameter. Urgently required by end of next week, alongside Latvian models. | — |
| 12 Nov 1923 | Design | George Kruger Gray5 St Paul's Studios, W.14 | Col. R. A. JohnsonRoyal Mint | P.S. to letter (ref. R.354/22): Johnson specified 4" model diameter — would 5" be acceptable? Gray's drawing is 2½" and doubling to 5" would save time in redrawing and enlarging. Practical question about the reducing-machine workflow. | R.354/22 |
| 12 Nov 1923 | Design | Col. R. A. JohnsonRoyal Mint | George Kruger Gray5 St Paul's Studios, W.14 | Returns two William the Conqueror drawings submitted for Jersey. Notes that models for the new armorial reverses are needed "as soon as ever possible." | — |
| 16 Nov 1923 | Design | Internal noteRoyal Mint | Jersey file | Penny design to be received from Kruger Gray tomorrow; halfpenny design at end of next week. | — |
| 18 Nov 1923 | Design | George Kruger Gray5 St Paul's Studios, W.14 | Col. R. A. JohnsonRoyal Mint | Has finished the "2/4 of a shilling for Jersey." Can send for the wax at any time. Explains linked lettering: done to preserve letter size given long inscriptions — "plenty of precedent in old work." Aims for "muscle richness of effect." "I think this design should make a good coin." The most artistically significant document in the collection. | — |
| 27 Nov 1923 | Design | Deputy Master & ComptrollerRoyal Mint | Treasurer of the StatesJersey | Finance Committee's selection of the Coat of Arms design noted; preparation of the die set in hand. Hopes to make delivery before the New Year. | 647/23 |
| Phase 4 — Royal Approval | |||||
| 21 Dec 1923 | Approval | Deputy MasterRoyal Mint | P. J. Grigg(Treasury) | Informal note urging swift royal approval: "We have promised to deliver the coins to Jersey by the end of the year." Submission is "a purely formal matter, but I see that it ought to be done." Please return the three specimen coins. | — |
| 21 Dec 1923 | Approval | Royal Mint(formal memo) | Master of the Mint | States that Jersey has authority (Order in Council, 29 Jan) to issue new copper coinage. New reverse design bearing Coat of Arms adopted by States. Two specimen coins forwarded for submission to His Majesty; one old-pattern coin enclosed for comparison. Obverse unchanged. | — |
| 22 Dec 1923 | Approval | Donald Ferguson | Col. R. A. Johnson O.B.E.Royal Mint | Wrote to Lord Stamfordham enclosing new Jersey coins for submission to the King; this morning received notification of the King's approval. Returns coins. Approval obtained within 24 hours of submission. | — |
| Phase 5 — Manufacture & Delivery | |||||
| 1 Jan 1924 | Delivery | Chief Clerk, Royal Mint | Treasurer of the StatesJersey | Pence and halfpence dispatched today per London & South Western Railway with memorandum of packing. Old French bronze received: 7,175 lbs. avoirdupois. Exact equivalent in new coin: £1,255 in pence and £150 in halfpennies. Account to follow. | 647/23 |
| 1 Jan 1924 | Delivery | Royal Mint (packing memo)Form 84a | Treasurer of the States5 Library Place, Jersey | 71 boxes (G.↑R.) containing £1,405 in Jersey bronze coin. Pence £1,255 (boxes 1–55 approx.), halfpence £150 (boxes 56–71). Gross weights recorded box by box in cwt/qrs/lbs/oz. Signed by Staff Officer "Sabre." | — |
| 3 Jan 1924 | Delivery | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Deputy MasterRoyal Mint | Acknowledges receipt of 71 boxes of bronze coin: £1,255 in pence and £150 in halfpennies, arrived today. | 647/23 |
| 9 Jan 1924 | Delivery | Internal accountRoyal Mint | File 647/23 | Charges for manufacture of matrices and punches for new reverse designs: Penny — reduction punch £5.5.0, matrix £4.4.0, two punches £6.6.0; Halfpenny — same. Total: £31.10.0. Signed H. W. T. Evans, 9.1.24. | 647/23 |
| 17 Jan 1924 | Delivery | Col. R. A. JohnsonRoyal Mint | George Kruger Gray5 St Paul's Studios, W.14 | Encloses a new Jersey penny which Gray may keep as a gift. Extract, original on R.854/24. A personal acknowledgement to the designer. | R.854/24 |
| Phase 6 — Billing & Payment | |||||
| 23 Jan 1924 | Payment | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Deputy MasterRoyal Mint | Financial year closes 31 Jan 1924. Asks to be informed of the exact sum owed so as to settle before year-end. | 647/23 |
| 23 Jan 1924 | Payment | Royal Mint(invoice) | Master of the Mint | Invoice for bronze coinage of £1,405 face value: manufacture (1d. £1,255 @ £11.4 per £100 = £140.11.2; ½d. £150 @ £19.4 per £100 = £28.16.0); punches & matrix (1d. £15.15.0; ½d. £15.15.0). Total: £200.17.2. Examined and approved. | — |
| 23 Jan 1924 | Payment | Chief Clerk, Royal Mint | Treasurer of the StatesJersey | Encloses account amounting to £200.17.2 (two hundred pounds seventeen and twopence). Notes that due to an oversight in the Deputy Master's letter of 7 May, the charges were reversed; correct rates are Pence £11.4.0 and Halfpence £19.4.0 per £100. Ref. No. 647/1923. | 647/1923 |
| 25 Jan 1924 | Payment | Herbert FreautTreasurer, States of Jersey | Master of the Royal MintLondon E.1 | Confirms Midland Bank has been instructed to place £200.17.2 to the credit of the Mint Cash Account, Bank of England — the amount due for Bronze Coinage to the order of the States of Jersey. Final act of the correspondence. Account settled six days before the financial year closes. | 647/23 |
MINT 20/827, Jersey: issue and withdrawal of coinage. 1923 - 1926. The Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK.
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