We are proud to present The Currency of Conflict Set, which collates two coins and one banknote from key points in World War II.

The set includes –

1944 Threepence – Struck at Pinewood Studios

At the start of the Second World War, The Royal Mint was concerned that coin production could be impacted if the site at Tower Hill was damaged by enemy fire. In 1941, production began at a temporary site based at Pinewood Studios to avoid production being disrupted.

The threepence was one of the coins that was struck at the auxiliary Mint and the 1944 threepence was only produced at these premises. This twelve-sided coin became popular during the Second World War as its unusual shape made it easy to identify in a pocket full of change during blackouts.

Maria Theresa Thaler

The Second World War was one of the most influential conflicts throughout history, especially on currency that was produced at the time. The Royal Mint had to strike coinage for use in different countries, including the Maria Theresa thaler.

£1 Peppiatt Banknote

Coins weren’t the only currency affected. The Bank of England issued an emergency banknote featuring pink and blue colours instead of the usual green and introduced security threading to prevent this from being counterfeited by the enemy.

The banknote received this nickname after the Chief Cashier of the Bank of England at the time, Kenneth Peppiatt, who fought in the war himself and was not only awarded a military cross in August 1918 but gained a bar for the medal in October of that year. The bar indicates a second act that would have merited a military cross.