18th C Halfpenny Tokens | UK | Whitmore Coins Tokens and Medals

COINS? WHAT COINS?

For most of the reign of George III, from 1760 to 1797, chronic shortages of coin became the rule rather than the exception. There were issues of copper farthings and halfpennies for five years after 1770, and a substantial quantity of sixpences and shillings in 1787, otherwise only gold half and one guineas were regularly available, and these were of little use to any but the most affluent. At the same time the industrial revolution was transforming the country and converting a large part of the peasant population into an urban workforce needing a weekly wage in cash. Something had to give.

PARYS MOUNTAIN

Beginning in 1787 huge quantities of copper pennies and halfpennies made their appearance. A mother lode of high grade copper ore had been discovered on the Parys mountain in Anglesey, and a consortium of businessmen found an unbelievably simple way to make their fortunes. They paid workers to extract copper, converted the copper into tokens and then used some of the tokens to pay the workers to extract more copper. The rest were put into circulation as everyone was willing if not eager to use the tokens in place of the remnants of old currency, enabling commerce to flourish unhindered. The tokens were made by the most modern techniques, even having letters around the edge. They were far better in appearance and quality than any coppers the Royal Mint had ever been capable of producing.

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY TOKENS

Such a successful idea was soon copied vigorously. At first the new issuers were careful to make the copper content reasonably substantial and to include promises of redemption. Many took pride in their products and used interesting and elaborate designs to publicise themselves, their businesses, and their towns.

The tokens also functioned in a manner which today might seem way beyond their capacity, but in the eighteenth century there were almost no means of mass communication, and few of the poorer people were literate. The governing class, fearful of a repetition in Britain of recent events in France, attempted to suppress radical political views. Because the tokens were handled by everyone from the highest to the lowest but were beyond authoritarian control, it was possible to use them to convey criticism of the regime from the mildest to the most extreme through their designs, which everyone could understand, as well as by inscriptions aimed at the literate minority.

18th Century Halfpenny Hornchurch 33 Edward IV / Castle in crowned shield

18th Century Halfpenny Shrewsbury 22 1793 Borough Arms Woolpack. Shrewsbury Edge

18th Century Halfpenny Norwich 19 1794 Bullen & Martins. Key in archway

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 354 1794 Lackington's Edge Temple of the Muses

18th Century Halfpenny Manchester 127a 1792 East India House / Grocers Arms

18th Century Halfpenny Macclesfield 21 1790 Charles Roe / Seated female.

18th Century Halfpenny Leeds 47 1791 Bishop Blaze standing / Arms with owl crest

18th Century Halfpenny Lancaster 51 John of Gaunt / Bishop Blaize standing. Rare

18th Century Halfpenny Hull 21 1791 Statue of William III / Shield Garton's edge

18th Century Halfpenny Guildford 9 Town Arms / Bishop Blaize with woolsack.

18th Century Halfpenny Emsworth 11 1794 Seated female / Dove & Cornucopia.

18th Century Halfpenny Edinburgh 39 1791 St Andrew / City Arms.

18th Century Halfpenny Edinburgh 20 1796 Harrisons H H cypher. Anchor. Flan clip

18th Century Halfpenny Dublin 308 1794 Fyans. Justice / Sugar loaf & bottle.

18th Century Halfpenny Dublin 91 1792 Camac Kyan female with harp. H M Co Cypher

18th Century Halfpenny Dublin 9 1795 Hope / Arms & Crest of United States

18th Century Halfpenny Cronebane 48b 1789 Bishops Head / Irish Miners Arms.

18th Century Halfpenny Coalbrookdale 9 1792 Iron bridge Inclined plane at Ketley

18th Century Halfpenny Bungay 21 1795 Hand with scroll / Justice. Delf edge

18th Century Halfpenny Brighton 10 1796 W.Mighells - "Honor the King”

18th Century Halfpenny Birmingham 123 1792 Donald & Co Beehive & bees Plain edge

18th Century Halfpenny Stafford 21 1797 Arms / WH Cypher. Horton's edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Sleaford 3 John of Gaunt/ Arms. Thomas Ball's edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Sandwich 39 Ancient sloop / Arms. Thomas Bundocks edge

18th Century Halfpenny Sandwich 39 Ancient sloop / Arms. Thomas Bundocks Edge

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 1045a 1794 J.H.Tooke - Usual reverse weakness

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 1024 1794 T Hardy / Aquitted by his jury etc.

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 1010 Hon. T. Erskine. A friend to freedom

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 911b 1795 Long Live the King - Lustre Trace

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 389 1795 Moore's. Coarse milled edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 307a 1794 Printing Press. Plain edge Flan clip

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 300 Dodd's Bust of Handel. Thin flan 20% Lustre

18th Century Halfpenny Maidstone 37 1795 Arms / Padsole Paper Mill. Milled edge

18th Century Halfpenny Hythe 31 1794 Cinque Port Arms. Shipden's edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Dover 16 1794 Bust of Pitt. Edge: At Horn's library.

18th Century Halfpenny Bristol 89 1793 Hawkins Bird. Church spire. Milled edge

18th Century Halfpenny Bridgewater 86 1794 I.Holloway etc. Edge:"On demand"

18th Century Halfpenny Bath 36f John Howard Edge Currant every where. 10% Luster

18th Century Halfpenny Anglesey 304 1788 Druids head / P M Co Cypher.

18th Century Halfpenny Wilkinson 460a Wilkison. E: Anglesey London or Liverpool

18th Century Halfpenny Southampton 89 Taylor & Moody's edge Bronzed proof AFDC

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 1012 1794 Erskine & Gibbs - Milled edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 796 1795 Horne Tooke - Spence’s edge

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 473 Salters. Cheapest hat warehouse.

18th Century Halfpenny Middlesex 323 Hatfield. Golden Leg - Boot & Shoe

18th Century Halfpenny Token Edinburgh 31 1791 St. Andrew. Hutchison's edge

18th Century Halfpenny Token Benenden 4 1794 Wheatsheaf - Reeve's edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Token Bath 28 1794 Glovers Somersetshire Bank. 10% Luster

18th Century Halfpenny Token Worcester 42 1788 George III. Musical instruments

18th Century Halfpenny Token Worcester 40 1788 George III. Musical instruments

18th Century Halfpenny Token Worcester 33 1788 George III. Scalloped edge

18th Century Halfpenny Token Middlesex 808 1790 Odd Fellows London edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Token Middlesex 808 London edge. Reverse off-centre

18th Century Halfpenny Token Middlesex 804c Plain edge. Small flan (26mm)

18th Century Halfpenny Token Leighton Buzzard 3a Goldsmith Baintree edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Token Inverness 3 1795 Rose & Thistles - Cornucopia.

18th Century Halfpenny Token Glasgow 3a Edge: Cambridge, Bedford & Huntingdon

18th Century Halfpenny Token Exeter 2 1792 Bishop Blaize. Kingdon's edge.

18th Century Halfpenny Token Dimchurch 15 1794 W P cypher. W Parris's edge

18th Century Halfpenny Token Worcester 34 1788 George III. Scalloped edge. Rare