The most beautiful of our modern coins is a Crown-piece struck in 1847, from dies engraved by Wyon. It is in somewhat low relief, and bears on the obverse an exquisite profile portrait of the queen, to the left, filling up the entire diameter of the coin. Her Majesty wears an open four-arched crown; the hair, being plaited, is brought down below the ear, and fastened at the back of the head; shoulders and bosom draped with delicate and elaborately ornamented lace, pearls, and jewels, the portion of the robe visible being diapered with roses, thistles, and shamrocks in lozenges. _Legend._ =Victoria dei gratia britanniar. reg: f: d=. Reverse: within the inner circle four shields (two England, one Scotland, one Ireland), arranged as a cross, within a tressure of eight arches; each shield crowned, the crowns extending through the legend and to extremity of the coin. In the centre the star of the Order of the Garter, and in the angles between the shields, which are diapered, a rose twice repeated, a thistle, and a shamrock; the spandrils and the cusps trefoiled. _Legend_, =tueatur unita deus anno dom. mdcccxlvii=. Round the edge =decus· et· tutamen· anno· regni· undecim=. This, usually known as the “gothic crown,” was not put in circulation. _Gold._ Sovereign, and Half-sovereign; obverse, same bust as the silver, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA, and date; reverse, Sovereign, royal arms, as the Half-crown; later issues, St. George and the Dragon as on those of George IV., and date; Half-sovereign, royal shield as before, without the wreath, mantled, crowned, BRITANNIARVM REGINA FID. DEF. _Copper._ Farthings; obverse, same as Sovereign; reverse, figure of Britannia, as before, with the rose, thistle, and shamrock beneath, BRITANNIAR REG. FID. DEF.; Half and Quarter-farthings have also been struck for the colonies to supersede the use of cowries. _Bronze._ Obverse: beautifully laureated profile bust of the queen, hair tied behind, draped over the shoulders; the portrait filling up the diameter of the coin; legend, VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F: D: Reverse: figure of Britannia, helmeted and draped, holding a trident in her left hand, and her right resting on a shield of the union; in the distance, on one side, the Eddystone Lighthouse, on the other a ship in full sail. _Legend_: ONE PENNY, date in exergue, 1860, _et seq_. A large number of pattern pieces for coins of various values, and in all the metals, have at one time or other during this reign been prepared and struck, and are of the highest interest for the cabinets of collectors. TRADERS’ TOKENS OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. [Illustration: TRADERS’ TOKENS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.] [Illustration: TRADERS’ TOKENS, SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.] [Illustration] TRADERS’ TOKENS.