The Royal mint finally recieved it's long overdue funding as was able to something about the appalling state of British coinage. Thanks to James Watt, new steam powered coin presses were installed at the mint in London, and in 1816 a great recoinage of silver and gold took place (copper coins had been struck at a private facility using steam presses since 1797), with the old coins being withdrawn and replaced with new specie. These were the first British coins to be struck using a "collar" or third die which shaped the edge of the coins thus ensuring uniformly round coins. The portraits of King George the Third were engraved by the Italian Benedetto Pistrucci, and the portrait used on the halfcrown came in for some serious criticism, possibly not by the King himself who was insane by this time. It bacame known as the "bull head", and was only used in 1816 and 1817 before a head only bust was substituted in 1817.
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