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James II, the deposed Catholic British king, attempted to take back his kingdom from William of Orange. With strong support in Ireland, he decided to raise an army there first. “Gun money” was the name given to coins that were minted in base metals and were designed to be redeemed for silver coins following a victory by James II. Since James was not victorious, the exchange never took place, although the base metal coins were allowed to circulate at much lower values.
The coins were called “gun money” because some of them were minted from melted down guns. In fact , many other objects were used, such as church bells.
The effects of the Williamite War would be felt for many centuries, deepening divisions between the Catholic and Protestant communities. The British and Protestants systematically excluded the Irish majority Catholic population from land and power. The Williamite war is even commemorated by the Protestant Unionists today.
Gun Money, James II Half-Crown (28mm diameter), May 1690
If you would like to find out more about the James II half-crown featured in this blog please click here.
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