<P> In 1644 the Exeter mint produced a fairly scarce threepence . It features a left - facing crowned bust of the king with the numeral III behind him, with the legend CAROLUS DG MA BR F ET H RE, with the reverse showing the royal arms on a shield with the date 1644 above the shield, and the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO . </P> <P> No threepences were produced by the Commonwealth of England . </P> <P> The final hammered coinage threepences were produced at the start of the reign of King Charles II . In style they are very reminiscent of his father's issues, the obverse featuring the bust of the king, with the numeral III and the legend CAROLUS II DG MAG BRI F ET H REX, with the reverse showing the royal arms on a shield over a cross, and the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO . </P> <P> The milled silver threepences of Charles II form two types . There is the undated issue which looks very like the earlier hammered coinage, with a crowned left - facing bust of the king with the denomination indicated by III behind his head, and the inscription CAROLVS II DGMBF & H REX, with the reverse showing a shield encircling the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland and France with the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO . This was followed by the dated issue, issued each year from 1670 to 1684, where the obverse features a right - facing uncrowned bust of the king and the inscription CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA, with the reverse showing three crowned interlinked "C" s (indicating the value) and the inscription MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX date . All milled silver threepences were 17 millimetres in diameter and weighed 1.5 grams--dimensions which were unchanged until near the end of the reign of George III . </P>

When did silver threepenny bits go out of circulation