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The Spirit of Cornwall
Cornish Mining Coin collection
As Cornwall entered the 21st Century, it did so without one of its' oldest and most unique industries.
The debate regarding the future of mining in Cornwall will continue for some time but its' distinguished past will remain in perpetuity. The impact of hard rock mining on the social, economic, cultural and geographical fabric of Cornwall has been dramatic. Its' effect on a world-wide scale has also been little short of profound.
The pioneering efforts of thousands of Cornish miners, engineers and other innovators associated with every aspect of mining, have, over several millennia, placed Cornwall's stamp firmly on this unique industry. The Cornish have made hard rock mining their own and Cornwall has provided in abundance, the metals and minerals to satisfy their quest to supply society's needs for these basic raw materials which have fundamentally changed the world and the way of life for millions of people.
Regrettably, it seems that for the time being, Cornwall's contribution to mining may be at an end, but through a host of companies and organisations, each with their roots in the industry, Cornwall's mining heritage and long established excellence in the field will continue.
To celebrate the achievements of the industry, the South Crofty Collection has produced a unique collection of five coins, The Cornish Mining Collection.
The collection combines Cornwall's two most historically important metals, tin and copper. There are four coins in Cornish tin from three different sources and one in Cornish copper. All have individual history and authentication. Two different traditional methods of production have been used, hand casting and die striking. The coins represent seven hundred years of the industry, from the Seal of the 1305 Edward 1 Stannary Charter, through the 18th Century copper half-pennies and the 19th Century pennies, produced by the most successful mines, mining families and adventurers. The collection then brings the story of Cornish mining into the 21st Century with a new design based on South Crofty, the last tin mine in both Cornwall and the UK, which ceased operations in March 1998 and which now takes her place alongside Dolcoath, long referred to as the Queen of Cornish Mines.
The three central coins in the collection are replicas of tokens issued during the period of greatest activity in the Cornish Mining Industry, which began towards the end of the 17th Century. All are accurate reproductions made using examples of the relatively few originals of each which have survived. Tokens of this type were produced mainly in copper or brass.
For hundreds of years before organised minting became controlled and centralised in London and Wales, and adequate quantities of legal tender came into circulation, tokens were produced in many major towns to meet demand for low denomination coins, particularly to trade and pay wages.
With the Industrial Revolution well under way and the County engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, high demand for metals and minerals fuelled the development and massive expansion of manufacturing and commercial activity generally and of the mining industry, particularly in Cornwall. With thousands employed and business activity booming, shortages of legal tender coin led to production of tokens by a number of mining companies in Cornwall to pay those employed and provide a local means of trading. However, throughout the period fluctuations in metal prices meant that during times of high metal prices, when the value of the metal content in the tokens was greater than the face value, vast quantities of tokens were melted down and only when copper prices fell, would production of new tokens again begin.
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