VICTORIA. (1837.)
Denominations.—Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Florin or Two-shilling piece, Shilling, Sixpence, Groat or Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, Penny. Gold. Five-pound-piece, Double-sovereign or Two-pound-piece, Sovereign, Half-sovereign. Copper. Penny, Halfpenny, Farthing, Half-farthing. Bronze. Penny, Halfpenny, and Farthing.
Obverse.—Type. Crown and Half-crown. Sinister bust profile of the queen, undraped, round the head two plain bands, hair parted on the forehead, carried over the top of the ear, and all gathered together at the back of the head. The Half-crown has the fore hair plaited immediately before it joins the back hair. None of these have been issued for home currency since 1851. Florin. Sinister bust profile of the queen, crowned with an open arched crown, elegantly draped over the shoulders. Shilling, Sixpence, etc., bust same as Half-crown.
Legend. Crown and Half-crown, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA. Date under the head. Florin, first issue, VICTORIA REGINA, 1849; later issue, Victoria: d: g: britt: reg: f: d: and date as mdccclxviii. Shilling and sixpence, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR REG. F. D. Fourpence and Maundy money, VICTORIA D. G. BRITANNIAR. REGINA F. D.
Reverse.—Type. Crown and Half-crown, royal arms quarterly, 1 and 4, England, 2, Scotland, 3, Ireland, shield plain, crowned, within a wreath formed of two olive branches tied together at the bottom by a ribband; beneath the shield, the rose, thistle, and shamrock. Florin, first issue, in a tressure of eight arches, whose cusps have trefoil terminations, within the inner circle, four crowned shields arranged as a cross, first and third England, second Scotland, fourth Ireland. In the centre a rose; the crowns extending through the legend to the outside edge of the coin. In the four angles are, respectively, two roses, a thistle and a shamrock. Later issues, similar to the other, with a trefoiled quatrefoil instead of rose in the centre. Shilling and Sixpence; value in two lines, within a wreath formed of a branch of olive and an oak branch tied together with a ribband, above the value the royal crown, beneath the wreath the date. Fourpence, figure of Britannia seated, helmeted, in her left hand the trident, her right resting on the shield, date in exergue. Maundy money, value, crowned, within a wreath of oak branches and date.
Legend. Crown and Half-crown, BRITANNIARVM REGINA FID. DEF. Florin, first issue, ONE FLORIN ONE TENTH OF A POUND; later issues, One florin one tenth of a pound. Shilling and Sixpence, the words ONE SHILLING, and SIXPENCE, within the wreath of laurel and oak, beneath which is the date. Fourpence, FOUR PENCE. Threepence, figure 3 crowned.
The most beautiful of our modern coins is a Crown-piece struck in 1847, from dies engraved by Wyon. It is in somewhat low relief, and bears on the obverse an exquisite profile portrait of the queen, to the left, filling up the entire diameter of the coin. Her Majesty wears an open four-arched crown; the hair, being plaited, is brought down below the ear, and fastened at the back of the head; shoulders and bosom draped with delicate and elaborately ornamented lace, pearls, and jewels, the portion of the robe visible being diapered with roses, thistles, and shamrocks in lozenges. Legend. Victoria dei gratia britanniar. reg: f: d. Reverse: within the inner circle four shields (two England, one Scotland, one Ireland), arranged as a cross, within a tressure of eight arches; each shield crowned, the crowns extending through the legend and to extremity of the coin. In the centre the star of the Order of the Garter, and in the angles between the shields, which are diapered, a rose twice repeated, a thistle, and a shamrock; the spandrils and the cusps trefoiled. Legend, tueatur unita deus anno dom. mdcccxlvii. Round the edge decus· et· tutamen· anno· regni· undecim. This, usually known as the “gothic crown,” was not put in circulation.
Gold. Sovereign, and Half-sovereign; obverse, same bust as the silver, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA, and date; reverse, Sovereign, royal arms, as the Half-crown; later issues, St. George and the Dragon as on those of George IV., and date; Half-sovereign, royal shield as before, without the wreath, mantled, crowned, BRITANNIARVM REGINA FID. DEF.
Copper. Farthings; obverse, same as Sovereign; reverse, figure of Britannia, as before, with the rose, thistle, and shamrock beneath, BRITANNIAR REG. FID. DEF.; Half and Quarter-farthings have also been struck for the colonies to supersede the use of cowries.
Bronze. Obverse: beautifully laureated profile bust of the queen, hair tied behind, draped over the shoulders; the portrait filling up the diameter of the coin; legend, VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F: D: Reverse: figure of Britannia, helmeted and draped, holding a trident in her left hand, and her right resting on a shield of the union; in the distance, on one side, the Eddystone Lighthouse, on the other a ship in full sail. Legend: ONE PENNY, date in exergue, 1860, et seq. A large number of pattern pieces for coins of various values, and in all the metals, have at one time or other during this reign been prepared and struck, and are of the highest interest for the cabinets of collectors.
TRADERS’ TOKENS
OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.
Traders’ Tokens,
Seventeenth Century.
Traders’ Tokens,
Seventeenth Century.
TRADERS’ TOKENS.
The Traders’ Tokens of this kingdom, properly so-called, are confined, in issue, to the seventeenth, eighteenth, and early part of the nineteenth centuries—those of the first of these periods being the most numerous as well as, in most respects, the most interesting. Though not coins in the ordinary sense, not having been issued by kings or governments, they play a more important part in the history of the country than even the regal pieces do, and the information to be derived from their study is not only valuable but in many instances entertaining.
Coins, the currency of nations, as I have, on another occasion, observed, are hoarded up and studied, and constantly referred to in illustration of historical facts, or as corroborations in cases of doubtful points; and their value, admitted on all hands, cannot be too highly estimated. They, however, tell but of princes and nationalities, not of the people. The coins of Greece and Rome tell of events, of changes, and of wars, and become, when properly studied, a complete epitome of the history of the great nations to which they belong. Those of our own country, however, have not that recommendation—they become simply, and solely, matters of regal chronology. From the Norman Conquest to the present hour not one event does an English coin record, not one national trait does it exhibit, and not one matter connected with national history or the people does it illustrate.
Not so with Traders’ Tokens. Issued by the people, they tell of the people, and become imperishable records of that most important estate of the realm. They indicate to us their occupations and their skill; their customs and their modes of life; their local governments; their guilds and trade companies; their habits and sentiments; their trades, their costume, their towns, their families, and their homes. Pity it is that these lasting and reliable records and adjuncts to national history are, as I have just said, confined to some two centuries of our historical annals—but of those two periods (and especially of the earliest) they are, assuredly, among the more interesting and important of illustrations.
In Anglo-Saxon and mediæval times the want of small coins—that is, a currency representing a small value—was much felt, and this gave rise to the occasional issue of spurious, or rather base, coins to supply the deficiency, as it was found the smaller pieces—for instance, the pennies when broken up for use as halfpence and farthings—were unfit for general use among the rough-handed population.
In the reigns of Edward VI. and Mary the issue of a base-metal currency gave rise to considerable dissatisfaction and fraud, and under Elizabeth, who issued three-halfpence and three-farthing pieces, that spurious currency was declared no longer current. Despite the issuing, however, of these three-halfpenny and three-farthing pieces, the want of halfpennies and farthings was still so seriously felt by the entire population, that housekeepers, chandlers, grocers, mercers, vintners, and most other traders were impelled, for conscience' sake, to the issue of private tokens of lead, pewter, latten, tin, and even leather, for the purposes of trade. These were issued by the traders, and commodities in exchange could only be had from their issuers; they were thus useless as a circulating medium and a source of frequent loss to their holders.
In 1574 a proposition was made to the Queen by two persons named Wickliffe and Humphrey, to coin halfpence and farthings in base silver (to weigh respectively 12 and 6 grains), but was not acted upon. It was then proposed to coin pledges of copper, and a proclamation forbidding the use of private tokens and authorizing those just named was prepared; this, however, again, was not acted upon, and private tokens still continued in use. In 1582 the three-farthing pieces were withdrawn and silver halfpennies issued. They bear on the obverse a portcullis and mint mark, and on the reverse a cross and pellets.
In 1601 and 1602 the requirements of the army in Ireland caused, for a time, the issue of copper pence, halfpence, and farthings, and this seems to have revived the idea of copper pledges for England, for which, indeed, pattern pieces were struck. Copper tokens were, at that time, issued by the cities of Oxford, Worcester, and Bristol.
On the accession of James I. that monarch issued silver pennies for this country, in which his Scottish baubees, bodles, and placks were useless. A pattern farthing was also prepared but not issued. Soon afterwards a fresh scheme, which met the approval of the king, was acted upon. This was the issue of Royal farthing tokens weighing only six grains each. The licence to mint these dishonest coins which, for the purpose of getting them into circulation, were sold by the Crown to all comers at 21 shillings’ worth for a pound, was granted to Lord Harrington—the king stipulating that he should receive one-half the profit every quarter of a year. His majesty, however, ere long altered the arrangement, allowing Lord Harrington a fixed sum, and himself taking all the rest of the profit. Their principal distributor was Gerard Malyns, who thus spoke of their intention and use:—“The necessitye of these small moneys did appeare here with us in England, where everie chandler, tapster, vintner, and others, made tokens of lead and brasse for half-pences, and at Bristol by the late Queenes authoritie were made of copper, with a ship on one side, and C.B. on the other side, signifying Civitas Bristoll: these went current, for small things, at Bristoll and ten miles about. Hereupon, it pleased our soveraigne lord the king to approve of the making of a competent quantitie of farthing tokens to abolish the said leaden tokens, made in derogation of the king’s prerogative royall, which farthing tokens, being in the yeare 1613, with certain cautions and limitations, made of meere copper, have on the one side two sceptres crossing under one diadem, in remembrance of the union betweene England and Scotland; and on the other side the harpe for Ireland, and the inscription, ‘IACOBVS D.G. MAGNÆ. BRITT. FRA. ET HIBER. REX.’ And the said farthing tokens have not oneley beene found very commodius and necessarie for pettie commutations, but also to be a great reliefe of the poore, and meanes to encrease charitie, without which many of them had perished, everie man having meanes to give almes, even the mechanicall poore to the indigent poore.”
The mode adopted for distributing these farthing tokens and getting them into circulation was crafty and business-like. They were made up in packets of 5s. 3d. worth in each, and these packets, made up in bags of £20 worth in each, were sent to the mayors of the different towns of the kingdom, who were required to sell them to the public. For all sold and remitted for within two months the mayor was allowed two shillings in the pound for his trouble; if over two months, then only one shilling; and the purchaser of course in any case got 21s. worth for 20s. Thus each 21s. worth was sold by the king for 18s.
Despite all this, however, and the issuing of proclamation after proclamation to enforce this Royal swindle, private tokens continued to be issued as much as ever and could not be put down. The office for the issue of the Royal tokens was in Lothbury, London, and the place is still known as “Token-House Yard.” After the annulling of this office, copper farthing tokens of a more honest value were issued, but traders still struck their own to such an extent that they became more than ever general throughout the country.
In 1649 an attempt was made to establish a national farthing, and pattern pieces were prepared. Nothing, however, was done until 1671, when Traders’ Tokens having increased to a prodigious extent, and being issued by one or other in almost every town and village in the kingdom, the government announced the intended issue of halfpence and farthings to supersede them; and in 1672 a proclamation prohibiting the making or use of any such private tokens was issued, and stringent measures taken for their suppression. From that time their use rapidly declined, and they were soon utterly put down.
From that time (1672) until 1787 no Traders’ Tokens whatever were struck or issued in this kingdom. In the latter year (1787) the government having for a long time neglected to issue a sufficient quantity of copper coins for the purposes of trade, and the copper coinage having been forged to so great an extent that not one-fourth of what was in circulation was of Royal mint coining, the Anglesey Copper Mines Company issued tokens of their own, and to such an extent that they put into circulation three hundred tons of copper pennies and halfpennies. The example thus set was followed by other companies, corporations, and private traders, and tokens soon became so general that the matter attracted the attention of government, and resulted in orders being issued for the preparation of a new national coinage.
To that end in June, 1797, George the Third issued his warrant empowering Matthew Boulton, of the Soho Works, Birmingham, to manufacture a considerable quantity of penny and twopenny pieces. The extent to which this contract was carried may be gathered from the fact that between June, 1797, and 1805, Matthew Boulton “coined under contract for the British Government upwards of 4,000 tons weight of copper coin, amounting at its nominal value to nearly £800,000.” These coins were strictly and unequivocally honest, as were also those of the Anglesey and other works.
The Soho twopenny pieces weighed exactly two ounces each, and eight of them laid side by side measured one foot; the pennies weighed one ounce each, and seventeen in like manner measured two feet; the halfpennies weighed half an ounce each, and twelve of them measured one foot.
The effect of this issue was the stoppage of private tokens, only one or two examples being known of so late a date as 1802, when they finally ceased.
By 1811, consequent on the great increase in the value of copper caused by the costly wars in which this country was engaged, the twopenny and penny pieces (which were of the intrinsic value of the metal) were melted down, or used in various ways, and thus the copper currency had again, gradually and surely, become deficient. In that year the Copper Companies and others again resorted to the issue of batches of tokens, and these continued to increase and to be issued in large numbers until 1817, when, by Act of Parliament passed on the 27th of July, their manufacture was prohibited, and their issuers ordered, under penalties for disobedience, to take up all they had issued before the 1st of January, 1818.
Thus came entirely to an end the issue of Traders’ Tokens in this country.
It is impossible to ascertain, or even to form a correct estimate of, the number of varieties of seventeenth century tokens that were issued. Boyne, after mature consideration and much research, estimated the entire issue as not having exceeded 20,000, and in that he was probably tolerably correct.
In round numbers the known examples of tokens of the seventeenth century, issued in the various counties of England, Wales, and Ireland, may be put down as in:—
Making a grand total in all of about twelve thousand distinct varieties; and these, of course, can be only about one-half of what were actually issued.
The denominations are Pennies, Half-pennies, and Farthings, and they are of copper, or, in not a few instances, brass.
Their shape is usually round, but some are square, others octagonal, others lozenge, and others again heart-shaped. These varieties will be best understood by reference to the following engravings, which may be taken as general typical examples.
They are usually thin, not very cleverly struck, and many of them exhibit, in their orthography, ignorant and eccentric modes of spelling names, both of persons, trades, and places. The greater bulk of them are, fortunately, dated; the dates ranging from about 1648 to 1672.
The inscriptions in by far the greatest number of examples commence on the obverse, and are continued on the reverse. They commonly consist of the christian and surname of the issuer, his trade or occupation, and the town or village in which he resided. Usually on the ordinary disc-formed tokens this inscription is between the outer and inner circle of dotted lines. On the field, within the inner circle, is usually the value of the coin; the initials of the issuer and his wife joined together with a knot; trade-company, town, or family-arms; tavern or shop sign; device, indicating the handicraft or trade of the issuer; initials or other lettering; or other matter. On some, principally on the square, lozenge, octagonal, and heart-shaped examples, the inscription is placed in several lines across the entire field, and is accompanied more or less by devices, etc.
Among devices the arms of Trade-guilds or Companies are most numerous, and a brief description of those most commonly met with will be found of great service to the collector. They are as follows,—but for the sake of brevity, and as they are but seldom indicated on the tokens themselves, I omit tinctures:—
Apothecaries.—Full length figure of Apollo, the inventor of physic, his head radiant, holding in his left hand a bow, and in his right hand an arrow, supplanting (i.e. standing over, astride, or vanquishing) a serpent. On tokens these arms are sometimes represented without being on a shield. The crest of the company, a Rhinoceros, is also occasionally used.
Armourers.—On a chevron a gauntlet between two pairs of swords in saltire; on a chief an oval shield whereon a cross of St. George, between two peers’ helmets.
Bakers.—A pair of balances, held, between three garbs, by a hand, vested, and arm embowed, issuing from radiated clouds, affixed to the upper part of a chief barry wavy of four, whereon are two anchors.
Bakers (white).—Three garbs; on a chief an arm issuing from a cloud, holding a pair of scales, between three garbs.
Barber-Surgeons.—On a cross of St. George between, in first and fourth quarters a chevron between three fleams, and second and third a rose crowned, a lion passant-guardant.
Blacksmiths.—A chevron between three hammers crowned. On some tokens a single hammer, crowned or uncrowned, without a shield is used; occasionally also three uncrowned hammers; or, hammer and pincers, as on the cut; or, again, an anvil, as on the next example. Bottle Makers and Horners (now only Horners).—On a chevron between three leather bottles as many bugle horns, stringed.
Braziers.—On a chevron between, in chief, two ewers (or beakers), and in base, a tripod pot with two handles, three roses seeded and barbed.
Brewers.—On a chevron, between three pairs of barley garbs in saltire, as many tuns. Instead of these arms it was not infrequent for a single barrel, or three barrels, to be used. Another not uncommon device was two men carrying a barrel suspended from a shoulder-pole.
Bricklayers and Tilers.—A chevron between, in chief, a fleur-de-lis between two brick-axes palewise, and in base a bundle of laths.
Butchers.—Two slaughter-axes addorsed in saltire between three bulls’ heads couped, two in fesse and one in base; on a chief a boar’s head couped between two block brushes (i.e. two bunches of “butchers’-broom”). A knife and cleaver, and other signs were also used.
Carpenters.—A chevron (sometimes engrailed) between three pairs of compasses expanded at the points. Clockmakers.—Sable, a clock, or.
Clothworkers or Shearmen.—A chevron ermine between, in chief, two habbicks, and, in base, a teazle slipped.
Coach Makers and Coach Harness Makers.—A chevron between three coaches. Crest, Phœbus drawn in a chariot. Supporters, two horses, armed. Sometimes this crest alone appears, and sometimes a horse caparisoned.
Cooks.—A chevron engrailed between three columbines, stalked and leaved. Or, a chevron between three columbines, pendant.
Coopers.—Gyronny of eight, on a chevron, between three annulets, a grose between two adzes; on a chief three lilies, slipped, stalked, and leaved.
Cordwainers or Shoemakers.—A chevron between three goats’ heads erased and attired. It is not unusual for the three goats’ heads to be used without shield or chevron, and sometimes a single goat’s head is introduced. The public-house sign of the “Three Goats’ Heads,” a “house of call” for shoemakers, took its origin from these arms.
Cutlers.—Three pairs of swords in saltire, two pairs in chief and one in base. Frequently two swords in saltire is used as the trade device on tokens. Distillers.—A fesse wavy between, in chief, the sun in his splendour encircled with a cloud distilling drops of rain, and, in base, a distillatory [still] double armed, on a fire, with two worms and bolt receivers. Other simpler devices used on tokens are the sun in splendour; a still; or an Indian holding a bow and arrow (being one of the supporters of the company’s arms).
Drapers.—Three triple crowns each issuing out of a cloud shedding rays of the sun. Frequently only one triple crown is used on tokens.
Dyers.—A chevron between three madder bags, corded.
Farriers.—Three horseshoes pierced. A single horseshoe was, however, sometimes used on tokens.
Feltmakers.—A dexter hand couped at the wrist between two hatbands, nowed, in chief a hat, banded; or, a hat; or, a hand holding a hat and feather, were adopted.
Fishmongers.—Three dolphins naiant, in pale, finned and ducally crowned, between two pairs of lucies in saltire (the sinister surmounting the dexter), over the nose of each lucy a ducal crown; on a chief three pairs of keys, endorsed, in saltire. Fletchers.—A chevron between three arrows, headed and feathered.
Founders.—A laver pot (or vase) between two prickets (or taper-candlesticks).
Framework Knitters.—On a chevron between, in chief, two combs and as many leads of needles, and, in base, an iron jack springer, a main-spring between two small springs.
Fruiterers.—On a mount, a representation of the Tree of Life (Tree of Paradise) environed with a serpent; on the dexter side thereof a male figure, on the sinister a female (representing Adam and Eve); at the bottom of the tree a rabbit.
Girdlers.—Party per fesse, azure and or, a pale counterchanged, the first charged with three gridirons, the handles in chief, of the second.
Glaziers.—Two grozing irons in saltire between four closing nails; on a chief a lion passant-guardant.
Glovers.—Party per fesse, counterchanged, on each part of the first, two and one, a ram salient, armed, and unguled. The same arms, quartering two goats, statant, affront[=e]e and attired, in fesse, were granted to the Leathersellers’ Company as an impalement in 1505.
Goldsmiths.—Quarterly, first and fourth a leopard’s face, second and third a covered cup; and in chief two buckles, their tongues fessewise, pointed to the dexter.
Gold and Silver Wire Drawers.—On a chevron between, in chief, two coppers, and, in base, two points in saltire, a drawing iron between two rings.
Grocers.—A chevron between nine cloves, three, three and three. Sometimes seven (three, three, and one) are used. Not unfrequently on tokens three cloves are used as a grocer’s trade device, as are also one, two, or three sugar-loaves.
Haberdashers (Anciently called “Hurrers” and “Milleners).”—Barry nebulée (or wavy) of six; on a bend, a lion passant-guardant.
Hatters, or Hatter Merchants.—On a chevron between three felt hats with strings, as many escallops. On some tokens a hat, or hat and feather, or cap, alone occurs.
Innholders.—A chevron, quarterly per chevron, and per pale, between three garbs. The crest of this company, a star of sixteen rays, was also a common device on tokens.
Ironmongers.—On a chevron between three steel gads (billets) as many swivels, the middle one palewise, the other two with the line of the chevron.
Joiners or Carpenters.—A chevron (sometimes engrailed) between three pairs of compasses expanded at the points. Or, a chevron between two pairs of compasses extended, in chief, and a sphere in base; on a chief a pale between two roses, the pale charged with an escallop.
Leathersellers.—Three bucks passant reguardant attired and unguled.
Loriners.—A chevron between three curbits and as many bosses.
Masons.—On a chevron (sometimes engrailed) between three castles, a pair of compasses, extended.
Mercers.—A demi-virgin, couped below the shoulders, vested, crowned with an Eastern-crown, her hair dishevelled and wreathed about her temples with roses, issuing from clouds, and all within an orle of the same. This device is sometimes, on tokens, shorn of its clouds, and used without shield.
Merchant Adventurers.—Barry nebulée (or wavy) of six, on a chief quarterly, first and fourth, a lion passant-guardant, second and third two roses in fesse, barbed.
Merchant Tailors (or “Taylors and Linen Armourers”). A royal tent between two Parliament robes, lined ermine; the tent garnished, with tentstaff and pennon; on a chief a lion passant-guardant.
Merchants of the Staple.—Barry nebulée (or wavy) of six; on a chief, a lion passant-guardant.
Musicians.—A swan with wings expanded, within a double tressure fleury-counter-fleury; a chief charged with on a pale between two lions passant-guardant a rose seeded and barbed.
Needle Makers.—From three crowns in fesse as many needles, pendant.
Painters and Painter-Stainers.—Three escutcheons quarterly with three phoenix’ heads, erased.
Parish Clerks.—A fleur-de-lis; on a chief a leopard’s head between two song-books (shut), stringed.
Pewterers.—On a chevron between three limbecks, as many roses stalked, leaved, and seeded. Or:—
Pewterers.—On a chevron between three single-handled cups, each containing so many sprigs of lilies, the Virgin accompanied by four cherubs, between two pairs of limbecks.
Pin Makers.—A demi-virgin couped at the waist, mantle turned down ermine, her hair dishevelled, on her head an Eastern crown. Plaisterers.—On a chevron engrailed between, in chief, two plaisterers’ hammers, and, in base, a treble flat brush, handle upward, a rose seeded and barbed between two fleurs-de-lis; in chief a trowel fessewise with handle to the sinister.
Plumbers.—On a chevron between, in chief, two plummets and, in base, a level reversed, two soldering irons in saltire between a cutting knife on the dexter and a shave hook on the sinister; in chief a cross-staff fessewise.
Saddlers.—A chevron between three manage saddles complete.
Salters or Drysalters.—Party per chevron, three covered cups sprinkling salt; crest, a cubit arm erect, holding a covered cup, or salt sprinkler.
Scriveners.—An eagle with wings expanded, holding in his beak a penner and inkhorn, standing on a book, closed, fessewise, the clasps downwards.
Shipwrights.—On an antique hulk, the stern terminating with the head of a dragon in the hulk, the Ark with three doors in the side, from the Ark against the side a step-ladder; on a chief the cross of St. George charged on the centre with a lion passant-guardant.
Silkmen.—A ship of three masts in full sail on the sea, in base; on a chief a bale of silk, corded, between two bundles of silk, pendant.
Soapmakers.—A dolphin naiant between three eel spears.
Stationers.—On a chevron between three Bibles fessewise, clasps downwards, garnished and leaved, an eagle, rising, between two roses seeded and barbed; from the chief a demi-circle of glory edged with clouds, therein a dove displayed and nimbed.
Tallowchandlers.—Party per fesse a pale counterchanged; on the first three doves each holding an olive branch. In place of these arms the devices commonly found on tokens issued by tallowchandlers are: a man making candles; a stick of candles; a stick of candles within a crescent moon; one or three doves with olive branch, etc.
Tin Plate Workers and Wireworkers.—A chevron between three lamps, the two in chief (one light each) facing each other, the one in base with two lights, all garnished and illuminated.
Tobacconists.—Usually a roll of tobacco; or one, two, or three pipes; or a combination of pipes and tobacco.
Upholders or Upholsterers.—On a chevron between three tents (without poles) ermine and lined, as many roses.
Vintners.—A chevron between three tuns (barrels).
Watermen.—Barry wavy of six; on the middle bar a boat; on a chief two oars in saltire between two cushions, tasselled.
Wax-Chandlers.—On a chevron between three mortcours as many roses.
Weavers.—On a chevron between three leopards’ heads, each holding a shuttle, as many roses, seeded and barbed. On tokens sometimes three leopards’ faces alone, without shield, are used.
Woodmongers.—A sword erect, hilted and crowned (or enfiled with a ducal coronet) between two flaunches each charged with a faggot (or bundle of laths). On one token, that of Govin Gouldegay, of Whitefriars, the arms are a chevron between three faggots.
Woolmen or Woolpackers.—A woolpack.
“King’s Head,” Derby.
“King’s Arms,” Uttoxeter.
“Crown,” Repton.
Ale-house and shop-signs were much used as devices on tokens; but, of course, occurring as they do by the hundred, are too numerous to particularize. Sometimes the sign was named in addition to the device, but at others the name or the device was alone used. Thus for instance:—
“Red Lion,” Ashbourne.
“George and Dragon,” Uttoxeter.
“Bunch of Grapes,” Bolsover.
Obv. WILLIAM WEBB AT THE = Within the inner circle the figure of St. George and the Dragon.
Rev. IN SITTINGBORN, 1670 = Within the inner circle, in three lines, HIS HALF PENY.
Obv. EDMOND HOLT AT THE = Within the inner circle a ship.
Rev. SHIP IN RATCLIFFE, 1668 = Within the inner circle, in four lines, HIS HALFE PENY. E.H.
Arms of the Borough of Derby.
Arms of cities and towns are found not only on those tokens which were issued by corporations, mayors, or other bodies or officials, but by some tradesmen. Of the first an example or two will be sufficient:—
Obv. THE MAYOR OF = A shield bearing the arms of the city of Oxford; an “Ox” crossing a “Ford.”
Rev. OXFORD TOKEN = C.O., 1652. A small R for Rawlins the die sinker.
Obv. A BECCLES FARTHING, 1670. B = In four lines across the coin.
Rev. The arms of Beccles, a cattle pen, and Town Hall.
Obv. A BRISTOLL FARTHING = C.B., 1652, and a small R for Rawlins the die sinker.
Rev. THE ARMES OF BRISTOLL = The arms of Bristol on a shield.
Of family arms, which are occasionally met with on tokens, and also of crests, the following engraved examples will be sufficient to show their general character.
Arms and Crest of Shalcross.
Arms and Crest of Manaton.
Arms and Crest of Gent.
Arms of Coates.
Crest of Rossington.
Merchants marks, some of which are curious and of considerable interest, were to some extent used. They were, indeed, of much the same use as the “Trade Marks” of our own day. Other devices are implements of one kind or other connected with the trade or calling of the issuer; articles of clothing made or sold by him; animals and heraldic figures usually derived from guild arms or from signs; articles of domestic use of endless variety; and ships, boats, coaches, carriages, pack-horses, and numerous other matters connected with the daily life of the people.
Rebusses and allusive designs—that is, devices containing a play upon the name of the issuer—are far from uncommon. Thus James Bolton, of Blackburn, adopted on each side his tokens the device of a bolt and tun; Thomas Towers, of March, a tower; Anthony Rachell, of Wisbech, a “rachalled” or cogged wheel; Walter Coates, of Stockport, a colt; Francis Woodward, of Crutched Friars, a wood-ward mounted and blowing his horn; William Archer, of Deptford, an archer with bow and arrow; Hannah Bell, of Tooley Street, a bell; Hugh Conny, of Potton, three conies; John Curtis, of Yarmouth, two men curtseying; Robert Hancock, of Whitefriars, a hand and a cock; Ralph Harbottle, of Great Torrington, a hare and a bottle; Robert Thornhill, who kept the “Bull” inn, a Bull standing under a Thorn tree on a mound or hill; and so on.
Very frequently, and sometimes on the obverse and at others on the reverse, are the initials of the issuer or, more frequently still, those of the issuer and his wife tied together with, or having between them, a “true lover’s knot,” with floral or tasselled terminations. The initials in the latter case are thus arranged
M
I·K, that of the family name (Malyn) at the top, and those of the Christian name, of the husband (John) and wife (Katherine), at the sides as here engraved from a Duffield token.
On some the issuer has, as will occasionally be met with by the collector, introduced some remarkably quaint inscriptions. Thus on a token of Richard Bakewell, of Derby, 1666, is the curious inscription, GOOD MORROW VALENTINE, the device being two doves billing. On another Derby token, that of William Newcome, we have on the obverse, TOVCH NOT MINE ANOINTED, and on the reverse DOE MY PROPHETS NOE HARME. On one of Samuel Hendon, of Macclesfield,
WELCOME YOU BE
TO TRADE WITH ME.
On one of Thomas Cotton, of Middlewich,
ALTHOVGH BVT BRASS
YET LET ME PASS.
On one of Ann Greene, of Skipton, I WILL EXCHAING MY PENY. Others refer to the use and benefit of tokens alike to the poor and to the traders. Thus on one of Andover, on one side we have, FOR YE POORE’S BENEFIT, and on the other, HELP O’ ANDEVER, 1666; on one of Winchcombe, REMEMBER THE POORE; on one of Croyland, THE POORE’S HALFE PENY OF CROYLAND, 1670; Great Yarmouth, FOR THE VSE OF THE POORE; Chard, THE BVRROVGH OF CHARD MADE BY YE PORTREEVE FOR YE POORE; Southwold, FOR THE POORES ADVANTAG; Tamworth, FOR CHANGE AND CHARITIE; Worcester, FOR NECESSARIE CHAING; and so on in very great variety. They were often issued by the Mayor, the Portreeve, the Overseers, the Chamberlain, or other official for public convenience.
The best, indeed only worthy, book on the general subject of seventeenth century tokens is Boyne’s, published in 1858, in which close upon ten thousand examples are carefully and minutely described.
Of the more modern tokens—those so abundantly issued during the thirty years preceding 1818—and of the silver tokens of the latter part of that period which, including the Bank Tokens, number some four hundred varieties, I purposely abstain in this little work from giving any particulars.
Of those of silver and gold, Boyne’s “Silver Tokens of Great Britain and Ireland,” etc., published in 1866, is the best and most comprehensive list that has been prepared. Of those of copper, Batty’s “Descriptive Catalogue,” in which some twenty thousand varieties are minutely described, is as exhaustive a list as could well be prepared.
GREEK AND ROMAN COINS.
BY
BARCLAY V. HEAD.
GREEK AND ROMAN COINS.
