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.