Am I Not a Man and a Brother

It is the end of the 18th century - a time of revolution in France and independence in America, when George Washington was president and George III was king. It is in this time that the story of this coin starts... This 2007 two-pound commemorating the Slave Trade Act of 1807 is my favourite coin. Designed by David Gentleman, it is not intricate or particularly beautiful, but it is powerful especially when you take into account the story behind it.
The words "AM I NOT A MAN AND A BROTHER" appear on the edge of this coin. They originate from a medallion sold in 1787, designed by none other than Josiah Wedgwood.

The medallion was worn by members of the slavery abolition movement. There were many people of conscience who were part of this movement. However, most of the politicians of the time were representing areas that would suffer if slavery was abolished (large port towns) or in the pay of the companies who traded slaves, which were very rich.

The very fact that the Slave Trade Act of 1807 ever happened is largely down to one member of parliament - William Wilberforce. He tirelessly campaigned in parliament and to the influential people of the time until there was enough momentum and public backing to make abolition possible. The 1807 act did not abolish slavery, but it was a giant first step which eventually led to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

If you want to find out more about William Wilberforce (who also set up the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which later became the RSPCA) and the slavery abolition movement, I would recommend the film Amazing Grace, which also came out in 2007 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of that first act.

I hope you can now appreciate that the simple design of a broken chain instead of the 0 in 1807, is quite a powerful image.