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Many of the early
promotional items were in the form of token coinage. There was great
shortage of low denomination currency since silver coinage was of very light
weight and flimsy. Initially, the ‘Copper Kings’ of the copper
industry saw the opportunity to
fill this gap by issuing copper tokens of good weight in values of ½d and
1d. The tokens were redeemable in bulk by traders at the company accounts
offices or later at nominated banks. This had several advantages for them
since it enabled them to pay their workforce with money instead of truck, it
enabled them to lobby the government very directly for approval for the use
of copper in coinage and it gave them excellent advertising.
Thomas Williams of the
Parys Mine in Anglesey and his ironmaster friend and entrepreneur, John
Wilkinson were among the first in the field and were swiftly followed by
others. The tokens were produced using the new steam powered minting
machinery, mainly in Birmingham near where the currency was wanted. This
avoided the cost of transport from the Royal Mint in London. The first
issues were during the period 1787-1793 and lead eventually to the official
‘Cartwheel’ 1d and 2d coins being officially issued by Matthew Boulton in
1797.
There was another surge of need for copper tokens around 1811-13 and there
were then issues by many other organisations.
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1800) Cheshire Copper
Halfpenny Token of 1790 issued in Macclesfield and bearing the legend
‘Charles Roe established the copper works 1758. Diameter 28mm (1?”). The
reverse has a depiction of Britannia representing industry with 1790 in the
exergue and ‘Macclesfield Halfpenny surrounding. The rim is impressed
"Payable at Macclesfield Liverpool or Congleton’. |
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7809) Mint badges,
brass lapel stud and lapel/tie pin portraying the logo of the Birmingham
Mint together with the 'H' representing the old mint of Ralph Heaton & Son
founded in 1795 and the 'KN' is for the King's Norton Metal Company. The
lapel or tie pin has a pull off safety lug on the end of the pin - the
circular front measures approx ¾”, same as above, and the pin length is a
little under 2”. Both the badges are 19mm in diameter. Issue date
unknown. |
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6785) Proof medallion
issued in 1989 to commemorate the founding in 1850 of the Birmingham Mint,
the coining press of 1862, the striking press and the mint building of
1862. By 1989 the mint had passed from the ownership of Ralph Heaton & Son
to IMI (Imperial Metal Industries or ICI Metals Division). Approx 37mm (1½”)
diameter. |
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7645) Coins set in the
centre of trays are not unusual but this might have been one of the first.
Inside the periphery of the 115mm (4½”) diameter tray is ample information:
‘Impression from a die made by Matthew Boulton at Soho 1804 and used to
convert silver dollars captured by the English in the Spanish war. The image
of Carolus III being thus defaced’ |
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The following further information has
been offered by Harvey Sullivan IV after a discussion with an expert:
This piece is definitely strange. The
busts used for the 1804 dollar (overstrike) and the 1806 penny are
distinctly different, with the 1804 dollar also being the same as the 1797
cartwheel twopence. The dollar and twopence are also strangely enough the
same diameter, and the piece struck on the tray is the exact diameter of the
dollar, much larger than the 1806 penny. The bust on the tray is not
an exact match to either of the other portraits, but is closer to the 1806
penny, however it is larger than that used for the penny. The reason
for these anomalies becomes apparent when you glance at any of the above
coins and compare them to the tray. The portrait on the tray is facing the
wrong direction! In spite of the claim to having used the die for the
dollar, the only possible answer is that a special die set was
created for the tray, using apparently the lettering from the 1804 dollar
and the bust (reversed and enlarged) from the 1806 penny.
It seems that the inscription on the
tray may not be strictly correct! |
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1800)
Macclesfield Roe Cheshire Copper Halfpenny Token of 1790 with a diameter of
29mm. Obverse Description --- Detailed bust
portrait of Charles Roe facing right, within the legend "CHARLES ROE
ESTABLISHED THE COPPER WORKS 1758". Reverse Description --- Female seated, operating windlass and holding gearing cog. Around the edge are
the words "MACCLESFIELD HALFPENNY". The date of 1790 is shown in the
exergue. Rim Type --- Impressed with the words "PAYABLE AT MACCLESFIELD
LIVERPOOL OR CONGLETON". |
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1809) North Wales
copper halfpenny token 1793 issued with copper from the Parys Copper Mine. Obverse: Hooded bust of a Druid to the left,
twenty-nine acorns in wreath. Reverse: Cypher of “RNG” with date “1793”
above: “NORTH WALES HALFPENNY”. Edge
inscription: “PAYABLE IN LONDON BRISTOL & LANCASTER”. Issuer unknown. Good
collectable condition with minor pitting, see scan. D&H North Wales No: 3b.
Diameter 29mm. |
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1810) Welsh Parys
Mine Company (Anglesey) copper penny token 1788. Obverse: Hooded bust of a Druid to the left.
Twenty-seven acorns in wreath. Reverse: Cypher of “PMCo” (Parys Mine
Company) with date: “1788” above: “WE
PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ONE PENNY”. Edge inscription: “ON DEMAND IN LONDON
LIVERPOOL OR ANGLESEY”. The Parys Mine Company was first to issue tokens,
for payment to their workers, and general circulation, just ahead of John
Wilkinson the Shropshire Ironmaster. This precipitated the development of
the whole commercial token series as catalogued by Dalton & Hamer. Nice
collectable condition with some edge bruising, better than scan. D&H
Anglesey No: 165. Diameter 33mm. |
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1813) Bristol token
of 1911 with the Bristol motif of the ship and castle surrounded by the
motto 'Virtute et Industria'. |
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1823) Walthamstow
token of 1813 with lion on reverse, Britannia with oak leaves on obverse.
The copper mill in Walthamstow, now a suburb in North East London, was
established to provide local fabrication facilities using copper sheet from
Birmingham. This halfpenny trade token, dated 1813, was issued by the
British Copper Company, which had an office in London, but had smelting
works at Landore, Swansea (Wales), and rolling mills at Walthamstow (Essex, England).
It is catalogued as Withers 610 and Davis (Essex) 39. On the obverse is a
lion walking, and on the reverse is the seated Britannia within an oak
wreath. |
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1815) Tavistock
token 1811 Devon Mines penny token. This is number 1136 in standard work by
Withers "British Copper Tokens 1811-1820". An earlier reference work
by W. J. Davis, this is type Devon 25. Thick flan, engrailed edge. Diameter 28mm. |
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2062) English Bristol Brass & Copper Co.,
(Somerset) copper penny token 1811. Obverse: Text: “B B & COPPER CO”,
surrounded by, “ONE PENNY PAYABLE AT BRISTOL
SWANSEA & LONDON”. Reverse:
Shield with sailing ship and castle crested with crossed arms above holding
scales and a serpent, “VIRTUE ET INDUSTRIA
1811”. Diagonally milled edge.
Withers No: 441, Davis Somerset No:
85. Diameter 33mm. |
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2161) Bristol Brass
and Copper Co penny token, 1811 |
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2175 & 2340) G. Britain,
1811, 1d and 1/2d Rose tokens produced by Rose Copper Company in 1811 and valid in
Swansea and Birmingham. |
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2258) Cheadle Copper
1812 |
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2338) 1812 VF Gr Br
1P Token Birmingham. 'Copper Token One Penny' round a horse, Prince of
Wales feathers surrounded by 'Birmingham & South Wales 1812'. |
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2388) Druid's Head Cornish halfpenny
dated 1791. The obverse
shows a druids head within oak wreath. The reverse shows a crowned Cornish shield. The legend here states CORNISH COPPER HALF AN OUNCE 1791. |
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6861) British Empire
Exhibition 1924 commemorative coin struck at the exhibition to celebrate the
industry and commerce that had made Britain and the Empire so successful. |
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