Does anyone have any research tips - coinage in 1783 and also the alphabet - how many letters?

I have some vague idea that j and i didn't come in as separates for a while?

Re 1783 I need to know denominations of coins and exactly the images and words on both sides - especially the shilling - and was it standard or did it vary?

Also print - not everyone had books - who did - and if you didn't where could you find something to read - book of common prayer maybe but didn't people have their own hymnbooks? Print in the environment - milestones, signposts, inn signs?

sarah

http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/coins.html

18th century coinage wil certainly have varied in size, and the above site is the first I came across on a google search, hopefully helpful.

Might also be something here:
http://www.bmagic.org.uk/browse/collection/Coins+%26+Medals

For the coins and amounts:
http://www.bignell.uk.com/english_currency.htm

For what it's equivalent too

http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/current/howmuch.html

Once you've got the names of actual coins you could try a google image search for what they look like.

As far as I know the alphabet was 26 letters, though anyone with a classical education was liable to think of i and j as much the same thing.

Books - about a 50% literacy rate or a bit more, but much better at aural memories than we have as a result. Bibles, prayer books, also printed ballads and stories, scandals, polemics. Important announcements nailed up on church doors, which were the parish noticeboard. Important sermons were printed.

Theres a specialist printing trade library here:

http://stbride.org/library

Emma

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The Bank of England has a museum which I think has currency in it. Can't remember if the Royal Mint does, which it ought to, but their website's pretty feeble.

Thanks IB and Emma - much appreciated.

I rather think my character will keep away from churches which is all to the good as far as plot is concerned!

The less he gets to read the better...

sarah