History

The Norman Invasion and the Regime Change in Anglo-Saxon England - A summary of the actions of William the Conqueror leading up to the Norman Invasion and the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Had his adversary Harold really promised him the throne of England?

When England Lived Under Danish Rule - Danes ruled all of England for more than a generation. Between Canute and his sons, the Danes were kings from 1016 through 1042, yet we still think of England as Anglo-Saxon during that era.

Why Does a Gold Sovereign Weigh 7.98805 grams? - Although the Gold Sovereign is one of the World's most renowned coins, it has a strange weight: 7.98805g. That's 0.2354 troy ounce which is just as obscure. So how did we get here? Why Does a Gold Sovereign Weigh 7.98805 grams?

The Coins of Pontius Pilate - Pontius Pilate is best known today for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and (maybe reluctantly) ordered his crucifixion. The Coins of Pontius Pilate were issued when he was governor of the Roman province of Judea under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 CE.

The United States Coinage Act of 1792 - The United States Coinage Act of 1792 (or Mint Act) was "An Act establishing a Mint, and regulating the Coins of the United States". It created the United States Silver Dollar as the standard money and lawful tender of the United States, together with a decimal system for US currency.

What is the Trial of the Pyx? - The Trial of the Pyx is an annual ceremony conducted since the 12th century in which the coins of the UK (minted by the Royal Mint) are tested to check if the coins have the correct metallic content, weight and size.

The Early Development of US Silver Dollars - The American colonies started out with none of their own coinage, so they used foreign coins. At the time of the revolution, all coins in America were rare. Britain simply didn't supply the colonies with money. So in the Articles of Confederation of 1781, individual states were allowed to coin money.

Samuel Johnson and the 2005 50p Coin – Johnson’s Dictionary - In 2005 the Royal Mint issued a 50 pence coin into general circulation in the UK to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language. So who was Samuel Johnson and why was his dictionary special?

How American Coinage Started - American Coinage began soon after the Declaration of Independence. Up until then European coins were being used and one ounce of silver was considered to be one dollar.

The Sheldon Rarity Scale and other ways to define rarity in coins - I've counted 13 scales proposed for defining rarity in coins. Only a few are well accepted and none are as universally accepted as the Sheldon scale for grading coins. Perhaps the most common rarity scale is also an adaptation of Sheldon's scale.