Let's See Your Copper Coins, Tokens, Or Medals!

[Paddy]

When I read the ticket with the bronze version posted by @Gaz T I interpret the final "1959" as the date of production of this copy. Certainly looks more like 1959 style than 1565 to me. Even the @Sword looks more 18th or 19th century than 16th.

[Sword]

There is a specimen in the British Museum and this is from its website. "These medals were to serve as presents for the followers of the Duke of Alva at his meeting with Charles IX and Catherine at Bayonne in June". I guess the quality of medals in the 16th century can be surprising high. 

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?assetId=1613269679&objectId=943268&partId=1

I do wonder if the gold plating on that "vermeil" medal is official or if it was done in a later date. 

 

 

 

 

[Gaz T]

Thanks Sword and Paddy for the comments.

I have had a trawl through the net for any info on the medal.

I believe that the stamp on the side of the medal has the Cornucopia (horn of plenty) before the word BRONZE.

This was used by the French mint, So I believe it is an official French restrike of the original. I'm not quite sure about the F stamp but maybe that's just for France.

The Cornucopia was used from Jan 1st 1880 - 1898,  1901.

And in the 1960s the Cornucopia was used with the year stamped.

So looking at the clasp attached and the amount of crud under it I'm going to stick my neck out and put it as late Victorian - Edwardian.

Thanks again chaps.

[bagerap]

It should be pointed out that Monnaie de Paris have retained the dies for probably every coin and medal they have ever issued. restrikes are common and if you have deep enough pockets, old medals can be struck to order.

[JLS]

A new addition to my unofficial farthing collection, the "T.B." farthing of Bolton, Lancashire, minted by Taylor and Galloway in Bolton, probably for Thomas Bridson, dyer and bleacher. W1100 - listed as "RRR". This specimen ex-Brian Dawson

I know of the definite existence of two other examples - the Withers plate coin, and another sold in DNW's British Tokens sale in December 2015 (Lot 446) - if anyone here has one, or knows of others,  please do let me know !

[JLS]

Also found this great countermark on an 1862 bun penny - probably going to be a research piece for a while unless I can find an example where it's struck properly. 

 

 

[will1976]

1 hour ago, JLS said:

if anyone here has one, or knows of others,  please do let me know !

I've not got an example of this one yet and not seen any. A nice token, well done

[JLS]

More recently collected unofficial farthings: here are two which are not photographed in Withers ! 

W4640 - the Central Boot and Shoe Steam Factory. Listed by Batty so pre-1865.

I've wanted this ever since I saw Will1976's piece (photographed above in this thread) and luckily one turned up last week. 

And W4097, the rarer W Ingman token of Nottingham. Listed in Chamberlain, "Nottinghamshire Advertising Tickets, 1989" - would be very interested to see a scan of the plate piece if anyone has a copy.

[will1976]

1 hour ago, JLS said:

I've wanted this ever since I saw Will1976's piece

A very nice example, much better than mine. Well done. I've put my 'unofficials' on the back burner at the moment choosing to concentrate on the 18th century ½ pennies, particularly the Kempson tokens

[JLS]

32 minutes ago, will1976 said:

A very nice example, much better than mine. Well done. I've put my 'unofficials' on the back burner at the moment choosing to concentrate on the 18th century ½ pennies, particularly the Kempson tokens

Good luck with the Kempson tokens - beautiful things. I have a few from the London churches series knocking about somewhere. 

The unofficial farthings is probably the most actively growing bit of my collection right now...I just love being able to buy rarities in the series for £15 or £100, not normally a possibility in most other areas of collecting right now for better or worse. Although I'm also doing a date/mintmark set of the French revolutionary copper coinage and have had some good junk bin finds. 

 

[will1976]

18 minutes ago, JLS said:

The unofficial farthings is probably the most actively growing bit of my collection right now

When I have five minutes next week I'll PM you a couple of pictures of duplicates I have which might be of interest to you 

[JLS]

1 hour ago, will1976 said:

When I have five minutes next week I'll PM you a couple of pictures of duplicates I have which might be of interest to you 

Please do - still looking for acceptable examples of plenty of common tokens ! Let alone the RR and RRR pieces....

[Paulus]

Newbie 

[will1976]

New addition from the DNW auction of the 3rd.....one from a group of eight

[Paulus]

Aha so that was you eh ... the 4 groups of Kempsons Birmingham  Buildings all contained tokens I wanted, but all went higher than I was prepared to pay

[will1976]

31 minutes ago, Paulus said:

Aha so that was you eh

Yes afraid so! I did bid on two other lots (675 & 677) of the Birmingham Kempsons but as you said they went higher than I would pay and out of the 16 coins I only needed 3 so would have been a large out lay and a lot to sell on. Of the group I won I have just one duplicate so will sell that on at some point. They are really nice, couple of marks on one but I'm really pleased 

[JLS]

I recently picked up this, John Clark & Co.'s penny token, 1854. Same size and weight as a pre-1860 copper penny. 

What I find surprising about this issue is the "PAYABLE AT JOHN CLARK & CO" legend - this was presumably still illegal as of 1854 under the 1818 act banning private coinage ? In any case, this piece is rather rare, so perhaps it was not issued in enough quantity for anyone to care particularly about it. The "Professor Holloway" issue of 1857 and 1858 was much larger in quantity, and saw circulation in London, but had no indication that it was a payable token.

[JLS]

John Clarke & Co. wasn't just advertising on tokens, but also in cookbooks ! From Soyer's "A Shilling Cookbook for the People", 1855, a full page advert. 

If I have a free afternoon I might go over to the British Library and see if it really was patented. 

Edited October 9, 2019 by JLS

[copper123]

Nice recent pickup A/unc after near 180 years

[Rob]

Peck 730

[JLS]

A new acquisition - I've always loved the legends on this token. The story is that Bladud, decendent of Aeneas' companion Brutus, was a leper who kept a herd of leprous pigs, and could not become king of the Britons because of his leprosy. However, the pigs were miraculously cured by bathing in the waters of the Bath spring, as was Bladud, who returned to found the city after his coronation. 

To me, the token is conservatively VF+ but with a big patch on lustre on the bottom half of the obverse which I haven't captured very successfully in my photos. 

[JLS]

On 10/10/2019 at 10:56 AM, copper123 said:

Nice recent pickup A/unc after near 180 years

Is the first A of GRATIA unbarred or is that just the photograph ? 

[copper123]

Trick of the light A's are clearly bared

[Peckris 2]

On 10 October 2019 at 11:00 AM, Rob said:

Peck 730

Which kingdom has a thistle and brussels sprout as its emblem?

[Rob]

2 minutes ago, Peckris 2 said:

Which kingdom has a thistle and brussels sprout as its emblem?

Scotland under the SNP