By far the most numerous of the English tokens belong to the Southern
and Midland districts: of the city of Oxford alone I have 62 varieties.
The Northern Counties are much fewer in number: of Cumberland I have
only tokens of two towns, Carlisle and Cockermouth; of Northumberland,
the town of Newcastle only; of Westmoreland, Appleby, Kendal, and Kirby
Steven.
The ordinary value is the halfpenny for the Southern Counties, having
usually the Arms of some Company of the City of London, and the initials
of the issuer, his wife and family name, with the name, trade and
business at full length. The great bulk of these tokens are of a
monotonous character, with a few curious exceptions.
One of square shape, issued by Thomas Dedicot, in Bewdley, has the
legend, "SQUARE DEALING." A copper token of Worcester, has a brass
plug in the centre. A facetious Boniface of Leeds gives us the
double-entendre, "BEWARE THE BEARE," with his sign of the Bear. To make
the catch better, it should be known that in Yorkshire, BEER and BEAR,
are pronounced alike. The device and motto of the Baron Bradwardine is
consequently older than the time of the author of Waverley. Roger
Dickinson, of Robin Hood's Bay, affects a heart-shaped token, on which
are represented the popular heroes, Robin Hood and Little John: Little
John is represented half the size of Robin Hood, instead of being
considerably taller, not knowing he was so nick-named from his gigantic
stature. There are other tokens of octagon and diamond shape.
The Welsh tokens are generally of very good execution: the halfpenny of
Edward Lloyd, of Kidwelly, is very neat; a few of Carnarvon are small,
and issued at one penny, of a similar character to those of Ireland,
which I have next to mention.
The Irish tokens are of a different character to those of England and
Wales, being generally small, issued at one penny, and the issuer
styling himself Marchant. The penny token of John Whittle, of Kilkenny,
1656, has the Arms of the Commonwealth on it; the only instance that I
know of: the King's Arms are plentiful enough.
[Illustration]
Besides the list of towns given by Lindsay in his "View of the Coinage
of Ireland, 1839," I can add from my collection, Ballinasloe,
Downpatrick, Loughrea, Mount-Mellick, Navan and Roscommon, besides many
varieties of the towns Mr. Lindsay has published.
The circulation of these tokens was forbidden under severe penalties in
1673, but in Ireland they were continued partially to near the close of
the 18th century, when another general issue of tokens throughout Great
Britain was allowed by Government, owing to the great scarcity of small
money. The tokens of this period are of an entirely different size and
character to those of the preceding century.
WM. BOYNE.
Leeds, Feb. 1852.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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