At some point in the past, a hoard of Joseph Heath’s Cambridge tokens from 1667 must have been discovered and dispersed. This note presents an accumulation of 43 specimens and identifies three different die states. It is suggested that a typical batch of tokens supplied to a seventeenth century tradesman would consist of about 3,000 tokens, which could have been manufactured by a small team of moneyers using a single screw press in half a day.
Author: BNS Blog Coordinator
A Contemporary Counterfeit 1681 Twopence – Gary Oddie
This note presents a very unusual and easily overlooked counterfeit of a small silver milled coin.
A Die Study of James I Shillings – Third Issue, Sixth Bust, mm Trefoil – Gary Oddie
The three previous notes in this series have presented die studies for the third issue shillings with mintmarks Rose, Thistle and Lis. This note will finish off the third issue with a die study of the shillings with a trefoil mintmark. A total of 63 specimens have been noted from 36 obverse and 47 reverse dies and a statistical analysis suggests that as many again are yet to be discovered. As the last mintmark of the reign, the trefoil continued to be used for a few months into the reign of Charles I and two Pyx trails were carried out on 7 July 1625, the first for coins struck whilst James I was alive and the second for posthumous issues. This note also identifies a group of dies that might be associated with the posthumous issues. Extrapolating from the Rose, Thistle and Trefoil data allows an estimate to be made of the amount of silver at the previous Trial of the
read more A Die Study of James I Shillings – Third Issue, Sixth Bust, mm Trefoil – Gary Oddie
Revisiting the Case of Joseph Hunton – Silver Token Issuer and Last Man Hanged for Forgery – Gary Oddie
When originally conceived, this note had a very different title and form, but as the story of Joseph Hunton was uncovered in contemporary newspapers, it took a more serious turn and so is being given a separate article. This note presents the life, career and ultimate downfall of Joseph Hunton, a Quaker and very successful businessman. The original act of forgery of a bill of exchange, his attempt to escape, foiled by the weather and the police chase, his capture and high-profile trial and execution were all laid bare in the newspapers of the time. Though he had started with significant wealth, all of his properties and possessions were taken to pay his debts. Just over three years later an Act of Parliament would repeal the death penalty for such counterfeiting.
F.W. Wilkes, Great Colmore St., Birmingham – Gary Oddie
Many modern trade tokens are purely functional in nature and give insufficient details to allow conclusive attribution. Those with just names or initials can be challenging to research and require other corroborating information such as personal knowledge, a documented find or links with other tokens that include more details of the issuer, the use or the series. However, some tokens include more information that allows the issuer and his business to be traced more easily. This note presents one example of such a token.
Discovery of Nine Examples of UK Merchant Countermarked Dollars from an Old Collection Held in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples, Italy – Eric C. Hodge
In most series in numismatics, provenance is of vital importance. The series of UK merchant countermarked dollars is no different. So when early records, and photographs to support them, are found, then these can prove to be an invaluable resource for future research. This note is a record of such a find.
A Die Study of James I Shillings – Third Issue, Sixth Bust, mm Thistle – Gary Oddie
This note presents the next die study of the third issue James I shillings. Once again online archives and private collectors are thanked for their images. Just seven die-pair duplicates have been found amongst the 37 specimens and 23 obverse and 27 reverse dies have been identified. There are just two obverse legend variations (HI and HIB) and only one of these (HIB) is found with the plume reverse. The relatively small number of die duplicates in the sample suggests that there will likely be over 50 obverse dies and more than 80 reverse dies to be found. ……… or click here for the previous article in this series (A Die Study of James I Shillings – Third Issue, Sixth Bust, mm Lis)
Francis Edward Whelan (1848-1907) and the London Branch of the Rollin And Feuardent Firm – Hugh Pagan
The purpose of this note is to bring together in one convenient place what can be established about the career of Francis Edward Whelan (1848-1907), manager of the London branch of the Paris-based coin business Rollin and Feuardent, and for something over thirty years up to his death a major player in the London coin trade.
John Bluett of Taunton – Token Issuer and Collector – Gary Oddie
John Bluett was a grocer in Taunton and the issuer of a shilling token in 1811. As a recipient of a copy of Sharp’s catalogue of the Chetwynd collection (Link) it was suspected that he was more than just a token issuer. This note traces his family, business and personal connections and presents details of the five-day sale of his collections and properties in 1852. He had a good collection of coins: Roman, Anglo-Saxon, English hammered and milled, Scottish, medals, tokens, but what must have been an outstanding collection of provincial tokens, including many proofs and off-metal strikes were poorly catalogued and sold in large lots for about twice face value! A near-contemporary reference to his own silver token (1822) which had input from Bluett himself confirms that the tokens were not issued. Thus far, just two specimens have been traced with certainty.
MInts and Moneyers of the Pointed Helmet type of Edward the Confessor – Hugh Pagan
The primary function of this article is to provide for the benefit of the wider numismatic community a provisional listing of the moneyers and mints for Edward the Confessor’s Pointed Helmet type, but the provisional nature of the note should be stressed, and the writer would be glad to know of any coins of the type known to them which have not been recorded either in obvious published sources (books, articles, illustrated auction catalogues, and so on) or on currently viewable sites on the internet.
