George IV penny defaced by satirical writing

Historically very interesting George IV bronze penny dated 1826. The face of George IV on the obverse is covered with defamatory writing in a very clear, crisp script as follows: The Patron of Vice and Frivolity.. the modern Fine English Gentleman. The reverse of the penny, which is struck with the seated figure of Britannia has been left untouched.



It seems that there is a small family of such defaced coins in the George IV era which have all been written by the same hand. George IV was known as a patron of the arts but he was despised by the more conservative members of the public for being a spendthrift and a womaniser. He was dubbed The Prince of Pleasure among other names. During the Regency period, the scandals and social turmoil of the upper classes contrasted strongly with Jane Austens novels depicting a time of decorum and gentility. This contrast was accentuated by the sobering background of the Napoleonic Wars and unprecedented industrial change.



circa 1826.