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C0152 1758 King George II British Silver Shilling Coin - EF - SPINK 3704

Obverse
The old laureate head of George II is used on the 1758 coin. The old head features a noticeably aged George II, with bagged eyes and a sagging chin.

He faces left with a draped bust. The legend reads "GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA". The "V" in George has replaced the "U" which was used up until 1745. 

Reverse
The crowned shields to form a cruciform is used on the reverse. The angles are plain. The legend reads "1758 MBF ET H REX FDB ET LD SRI A TET E". 

This coin is graded: Extremely Fine. Please see images for detail. The coin you are purchasing will be the one displayed in the images above.

Fun Fact: 
In a time when £1 equalled 20 Shillings and 1 Shilling equalled 12 Pence, the Sixpence was effectively a half Shilling coin.

In the 18th century a minimum salary of £40 a year was required to support a family and to live a comfortable life £100 a year was needed. Average wages for a carpenter were around 3 Shillings a day or £39 a year, renting a house would cost around £10 a year, and a four pound loaf of bread (the standard size!) cost 5 Pence.

With a single Shilling you could buy dinner in a steakhouse - beef, bread and beer plus tip, 1lb of perfumed soap, postage of a one page letter from London to New York, or 1lb of Parmesan cheese.