Cartwheel Twopence

The Cartwheel Twopence is a large copper coin of Great Britain issued in 1797 under George III. The photographed example shows the standard type: a right-facing armoured bust of the king on the obverse and Britannia seated with a trident, a shield below her, on the reverse. Its nickname comes from the very broad, deeply raised outer rim into which the lettering is incuse (sunk into the metal), giving the coin the look of a solid wheel.

This piece is one of the heaviest circulating copper coins ever made for British use, containing a full ounce of copper so that its intrinsic metal value matched its face value of two pence. Its sheer size and weight make it unmistakable in hand and one of the most recognisable coins of the George III reign.

All genuine cartwheel twopences carry the single date 1797 and were produced by Matthew Boulton at his Soho Mint near Birmingham using steam-powered presses, a landmark of early industrial coining.

By the 1790s Britain suffered a severe shortage of reliable small change, and the official copper coinage in circulation was worn, counterfeited, and distrusted. In 1797 the government contracted Matthew Boulton, partner of James Watt, to strike a new regal copper coinage at his Soho Mint using steam-driven machinery. The result was the cartwheel penny and twopence, produced to a standard where the weight of copper equalled the coin's face value.

The twopence was struck to weigh two ounces of copper for a value of two pence — an ounce per penny — which is why the coin is so massive. The broad raised rim with incuse lettering was both a distinctive design and a practical anti-counterfeiting and anti-wear feature, protecting the central devices as the coins stacked and circulated.

The cartwheel coinage was minted only in 1797. The twopence in particular proved cumbersomely heavy for everyday use and was not repeated; later George III copper of 1799 and 1806–07 returned to lighter, more conventional formats. The cartwheels remain celebrated today as showcase products of Boulton's Soho Mint and of the industrial revolution in coining.

Look first at the size and weight. The genuine cartwheel twopence is very large, roughly 41 mm across and about 2 ounces (around 56–57 grams) of copper, far heavier than any ordinary penny. This bulk, together with the thick flat raised rim, is the single most telling feature.

The obverse shows the laureate, armoured bust of George III facing right, with the legend GEORGIUS III D G REX incuse in the raised rim. The reverse shows Britannia seated left holding a trident, an olive branch in her other hand, with a shield below and a ship in the sea to the side; the incuse rim legend reads BRITANNIA, and the date 1797 appears beneath Britannia. On both sides the lettering is sunk into the broad rim rather than raised, a defining cartwheel trait. The word SOHO appears in tiny letters on the reverse indicating the mint.

All authentic examples are dated 1797 only. Because the coin is copper it will show brown, chocolate, or occasionally green-toned surfaces; heavy circulation often flattens the central portrait and Britannia while the protective rim survives better.

As a large, one-year-only copper coin the cartwheel twopence is popular and readily collected, and prices depend heavily on condition. Well-worn examples with smooth or flattened detail are the most affordable and trade in modest amounts, reflecting how many were struck and how many survive. Coins retaining sharp portrait and Britannia detail, clean rims, and original surfaces command substantially more.

Condition, eye appeal, and surface preservation drive value more than rarity, since the type itself is common in worn grades. Pieces with attractive even toning, no heavy corrosion or edge knocks, and clear incuse lettering sit well above bulk examples, and choice near-uncirculated or proof-related strikings can reach much higher figures.

Because the coin has long been popular, replicas, later restrikes, and cast copies exist. For any example that appears high grade or is being bought at a significant price, confirm authenticity against reference weights and dimensions and, where warranted, seek a professional opinion. Treat all figures as broad context and check recent sales of comparable graded coins.