Does anyone know the end dates for the George III counterstamped silver dollar (8 reale) sized coins?

I have been studying the emergency coinage of England during the Napoleonic War. Two of the famous issues were the "Two kings but not a crown" coins that were issued starting in 1797. I have been unable to determine when the Bank of England stopped issuing these coins. Here are examples of each type, the small and large punches.

Small punch, staring 1797



Large punch, starting 1804?



And when did the 1804 British silver dollars get into the mix? Did the bank continue to counterstamp coins after it issued these pieces?



I will appreciate any insights the members can provide to me.

Verweis : "John Hamilton"​And when did the 1804 British silver dollars get into the mix? Did the bank continue to counterstamp coins after it issued these pieces?

​No, it didn't. 1804 was the last year of the countermarked coinage and in that same year those dollars replaced them. If I remember correctly, the oval countermark was too easy to counterfeit so it was replaced with octagonal one which was then replaced by just striking over 8 reales in 1804. On many 1804 dollars the remnants of the 8 reales are visible


The lettering is still clear underneath this coin

For more detail, please read THE BANK OF ENGLAND COUNTERMARKED DOLLARS, 1797-1804 by H.E. Manville.

My guess is such coins became invalid after 1816 when the new coinage was being made.

The first crowns were issued in 1817 and these may have replaced the Dollars and Countermarked coins. The British also issued countermarked Spanish coins on many Caribbean Islands like Grenada and Dominica right through to around 1812/13.

I read somewhere a coin dated 1807 with Ferdinand VII was countermarked.

According to H.E. Manville, the Bank of England stopped issuing the countermarked “Two kings but not a crown” dollars in 1804. These emergency issues began in 1797, when the Bank faced a severe shortage of silver and resorted to countermarking Spanish 8‑reales with a punch bearing the head of George III. The famous nickname comes from the fact that the host coins bore the portrait of the Spanish monarch (Charles IV) while the countermark added the English king, yet neither appeared crowned. Manville’s detailed study in The Bank of England Countermarked Dollars, 1797–1804 establishes that the practice continued until 1804, when the Bank shifted to a more permanent solution by overstriking Spanish dollars with full dies rather than relying on the small or large punch countermarks.

The cessation in 1804 reflected both practical and political pressures. By then, nearly three million countermarked dollars had been issued, but the system was plagued by inconsistencies in valuation and widespread counterfeiting. The Treasury authorized the Bank to move beyond simple countermarks, leading to the famous Bank of England dollars dated 1804, which were struck over Spanish 8‑reales with full designs rather than just a punch. Thus, Manville’s research makes clear that 1804 marks the final year of the countermark issues, closing a seven‑year emergency coinage experiment that bridged the gap between suspended silver coinage and the eventual resumption of regular mint output

The coins replaced counterpunched 1797 (Round) and 1804 (Octagonal) marks on Spanish dollars. Legal tender in 1804 - Maurice Bull (English silver coinage 2020: 260). The coins were issued May 20th 1804 and valued at 5/- (60 pence) each. In 1811 they went to 5/6 (66 pence per coin) and on May 1st 1817 devalued back down to 5/-. On March 25th 1820, they were demonitised completely.

 

The great recoinage was in 1816, but actually coins dated 1816 were only issued in March 1817, also no crowns (5/-) were issued until mid 1818, meaning these dollars lasted 16 years, and 14 years as a crown sized coin.

 

Three shilling and 1/6 bank tokens were also issued between 1811 and 1816, a ninepence was proposed and proofed, but never issued. 5 and 10 pence tokens were issued for Ireland.

 

My example, a common and well struck type, in which you can not see any of the Spanish coin underneath it.

 

Before 1804, Bull explains that the counterpunching was mostly on Spanish 8 reales issued from 1759 to 1803 (Carlos 3 and 4) and a few earlier Pillar dollars of Philip 5 and Ferdinand, but also scarce examples exist of 4 and 2 reale coins as half and quarter dollars, a French 5 francs coin of 1801 and even a US dollar from 1795 was counterpunched, all are basically unique.

 

The usual type of dollar used (Unused example, Mexico city 1801). The Treasury made a profit buying the dollars at 4/3 or 4/6 each thus making a profit of at least 6d per coin.

Excellent!

Don't thank me, thank Maurice Bull and Spink, his book is the authority on English silver coinage from 1649 to 1970.

I like to get as many reference books as I can. I feel when you spend lots of money on collectable coins, you should learn as much about their context as humanly possible.

 

If any of you are serious about English silver coins, I suggest buying it.

Buy the book before the coin. The well‑known numismatic maxim “Buy the book before the coin” was first introduced by New York dealer and bibliophile Aaron R. Feldman in 1966. Feldman placed an advertisement in The Numismatist offering numismatic literature for sale, and he used the phrase as a headline to emphasize the importance of knowledge before acquisition. His point was simple but powerful: without proper references, collectors risk misidentifying coins, overpaying, or missing opportunities. The phrase quickly resonated with the collecting community, becoming a guiding principle for generations of numismatists.

Over time, Feldman’s motto was embraced by organizations such as the Numismatic Bibliomania Society (NBS), which even established the Aaron R. Feldman Memorial Award to honor contributions to numismatic literature. Today, the saying is repeated in coin clubs, auction catalogs, and collector guides worldwide. It serves as a reminder that numismatics is not just about accumulation, but about study, context, and appreciation. Feldman’s legacy endures every time a collector reaches for a reference book before making a purchase, embodying the philosophy that knowledge is the most valuable coin in any collection.