by Ann Lewis
Tying in with the previous couple of posts, local historian Ann Lewis, has provided the following.
In the 1970’s, Vince Harris, the founder and first Chairman of the Merthyr Tydfil Historical Society gave me an old coin and a slip of paper with the details. Below is a photograph of the coin, and a transcription of the explanation.
This old 1806 George III half-penny was found in the ruins of the old Penydarren Ironworks’ blast furnaces in 1969.
This find is of particular interest to the history of the invention of the first steam locomotive to run on rails carrying passengers and goods.
The locomotive, invented by Richard Trevithick, ran very successfully from Penydarren to Abercynon Basin on 21 February 1804 – 21 years before the ‘Locomotion’ built by George Stephenson which ran in 1825 – and that even had to run on rails rolled at either Penydarren or Dowlais. Also, Trevithick’s Engine didn’t run over the Minister to the Board of Trade, or anyone else for that matter, on its trial run…..unlike Stephenson’s!!!
The 1806 half-penny is reputed to be among the first coins minted by Boulton & Watt on the first presses worked by steam, and is in excellent condition. One of the half-pennies that was struck in the 1970’s at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant is shown in comparison with the old one.
