Subsequent to 1760, coins of inferior quality had become commonplace in Great Britain. Inferior coinage was a result of equipment used by the Royal Mint becoming antiquated. As reliable quality was not a characteristic of British coins from this period, fake coins were easily produced by counterfeiters. As the industrial revolution created a surge of populations to British cities for employment at new mills and factories, greater amounts of coinage were needed to pay wages.
Matthew Boulton opened the Birmingham Soho Mint in 1778. His production of high-quality coins in large amounts led the British government to requisition Boulton to update the Royal Mint ten years later. Boulton died before completing the job.
In 1811, silver shillings were made for the silversmiths, Cattle and Barber, but not all companies would redeem the widely counterfeited coins. Renewed resurgence in all counterfeit coin production also occurred during this time. The British government outlawed the use of privately minted coins in 1814.
