Sommer Islands Coins

About This Coin

The Sommer Islands coinage, commonly known as "Hogge Money" or "Hoggies," represents the earliest English coinage struck for use in the Americas. Authorized under letters of patent from King James I on June 29, 1615, these coins were produced in England circa 1615-1616 for the Bermuda colony, then known as the Sommer Islands after Sir George Somers, whose flagship the Sea Venture was shipwrecked there in 1609. Four denominations were struck — twopence, threepence, sixpence, and shilling — each indicated by Roman numerals on the obverse. All feature a wild hog (razorback boar) on the obverse commemorating the feral pigs that sustained early settlers, and a sailing ship on the reverse. Made of a copper-tin alloy with a thin silver wash, the coins were introduced by Governor Daniel Tucker and ceased circulation by approximately 1624. Due to the salty island environment and tin content, most surviving examples show significant corrosion.