Brompton, April 10th, 1852.
Dear Sir,—-As this famous Portrait seems to be an object of interest to several of your subscribers, I take the liberty of adding my mite of information concerning it. In the March Number of "Current Notes," p. 21, it is stated that Caulfield valued a good impression of it at £36, but your Correspondent remarks, that "this was all very well for a dealer's valuation," adding, that the one sold at the Strawberry Hill sale was bought by a printseller for £7. 15s. That Caulfield was nearly right in his appreciation, I find confirmed by reference to the Catalogue of the 'extensive and choice collection of Prints' formed by my uncle, the late Robert Morse, Esq. of Clarges Street, Piccadilly, which was sold by auction by the well-known Dodd, May 15th, 1816, and 27 following days. This portrait (Lot 1335), described as "an excellent impression and of the utmost rarity," sold for £30 19s 6d. This, it is true, was in the high and palmy time of print-collecting, as the prices of a few others will testify. James I. by W. Pas, sold for £14 3s 6d. Edward Somerset, Earl of Worcester, by Simon Pas, for £9 9s. Edmond Baron Sheffield, for £10. Sir Julius Cæsar, by Elstracke, for £10 10s. Frances Bridges, Countess of Exeter, by Faithorne, for £10. Lot 3602, Strutt's Dictionary of Engravers, illustrated by 2820 prints, exhibiting specimens of the works of 1680 different engravers, bound in 18 vols. sold for £288 15s. Lot 3600, Vandyck's Works, a magnificent collection of engravings after his paintings, for £198; and others in the same proportion.
Your obedient servant and collaborateur,
Charles Edmonds.
Mr. Willis.
Tokens of the Seventeenth Century.
The notice of Tradesmen's tokens, inserted in the "Current Notes" of Feb. 25th, has attracted more attention than I expected, as besides the letters published in the Notes of March 25th, I have had direct communications from Andover and Downpatrick. In reply to the obliging letter of "K. L." Dublin, I beg to say, that I had seen the engraving of the Cork farthing in Mr. Lindsay's work, but as I did not sufficiently express my meaning, I will now explain what I meant by "the Commonwealth Arms," viz. that the two shields of Arms of England and Ireland were side by side, as shewn on the Token engraved in the "Notes," and precisely in the form they appear on the Coins of the Commonwealth, not separate as on the Cork farthing, one shield on the obverse, the other on the reverse side. They are all scarce: I do not know a single example of these Arms on an English token. Dr. Smith's Catalogue of Irish Tokens was unknown to me; I shall take the first opportunity to procure a copy.
My chief object in writing the notice was to get any information concerning the Tokens of Scotland, whether there are any besides the Royal tokens. The Scotch tokens of the 18th Century, mentioned by your correspondent "M. A. M." are well known, and engraved in the excellent work by Charles Pye, on the "Provincial Coins and Tokens issued from the year 1787 to 1801, Birmingham, 1801."
The following passage from Thoresby, the Leeds historian, who was a celebrated Numismatist in his day, gives the best information I can find on the subject: he says:—
"When private persons first obtained liberty of having their own names inscribed on the Tokens, I cannot learn. Sir William Dick had that favour in Charles I.'s time, but that was in Scotland. It seems to have been otherwise in England. I have by me a copy of an order in Council, whereby it appears that only the King's farthing tokens should be current here,[C] and the privilege of coining them was granted to the Duke of Lennox, and the Marquis of Hamilton, under the Great Seal."