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Galley Halfpence |
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Historical Background From the late 14th to the 16th century, small silver coins known as ‘galley halfpennies’ circulated widely, but illegally, in England. They were, in fact, Italian soldini, principally those struck for the city-state of Venice under the authority of the ruling doge. They were brought to England by ‘galley men’ trading wine and other goods, and their name may derive from Galley Quay in Thames Street, London, which was reputedly the centre for their distribution. The English coinage at the beginning of this period was undervalued in relation to foreign currency, and consequently found its way to the continent, where it was profitably melted down. This depletion of the supply of bullion and the resulting shortage of coins, particularly small change, caused real difficulty for many people, and created a demand that was filled by the soldini. In 1402 the Commons petitioned the king to provide halfpennies and farthings for the poor people, but little was done to alleviate the shortage. However, the concern of the authorities regarding the circulation of galley halfpence can be judged by the fact that they were prohibited by statute five times during the 15th century, and finally in 1519/20. There is evidence, however, that they continued to circulate until at least the 1530’s, by which time it is possible that their value had reduced to a farthing. |
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The Coins The design of the soldino changed several times during the period that it circulated in this country, and its size reduced from c.15mm to c.12mm. The main types are: Type 1 |
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Soldino of Michele Steno (1400-1413) |
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Type 2 |
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 Soldino of Nicolo Tron (1471-1473) |
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Type 3
Obverse: [Doge’s Name] DVX (in exergue), S M V; Doge holding banner and kneeling before St Mark Reverse: LAVS TIBI SOLI (Praise To Thee Alone); Standing figure of Christ facing, haloed and holding cross; mint control marks in exergue |
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The Doges
The doges of Venice from the late 14th to mid 16th century are listed below with the types they are known to have struck. It should be noted that their names are spelt in various ways, depending on whether they are rendered in English, Italian or Latin, and they are often very abbreviated on the coins. Andrea Contarini 1368-1382 (Type 1) |
