Elephant and Castle on British Coins - The Royal African Company - Articles on British coins

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Elephant and Castle on British Coins - The Royal African Company

By Coinsanduk | Wednesday, 24 January 2024

The Elephant and Castle symbol comes from the emblem of the Royal African Company in Africa. It was founded, as The Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa after Charles II ascended to the throne in 1660.

The original company collapsed in 1667 when England lost the Second Anglo-Dutch war, which the company had helped to provoke by attacking nearby Dutch merchant outposts. The company was dissolved in 1752.

The company's original purpose was to trade for gold, as Prince Rupert of the Rhine had identified gold deposits in the region during the Interregnum, the Royal African Company quickly began trading in slaves, which became its largest commodity. In spite of that, from 1668 to 1722, the Royal African Company provided gold to the English Mint.

The Royal African Company did not produce coins, but coins made with gold and silver in England from this region in western Africa are designed with company's logo (the Elephant or Elephant and Castle) below the bust on the obverse.

British gold coins of the era were called Guineas because some gold used to strike them came from West Africa. The discovered gold arrived at the same time as new coin production methods began: from hammered to milled.

The Elephant and Castle mark appears on the following gold coins: Half Guinea, Guinea, 2 Guineas and 5 Guineas. A very small silver coins of that era were also struck with the Royal African Company's logo including Shilling, Half Crown and Crown.

The mark can be seen on issues from Charles II, James II, and William and Mary