BRITISH 18TH CENTURY TOKENS, ENGLAND, William Lutwyche, (1754-1801), toymaker, later token manufacturer, Temple Row and St Philip churchyard, Imitation Copper Halfpenny (22), obv Lady Godiva riding a horse, PRO BONO PUBLICO, 1793, small date, wide spaced, small letters in legend, stop after legend, Godiva's head slightly under and to right of O of BONO, tip of the horses ear between O of PRO and B of BONO, rev elephant and castle (armorial bearings of the city of Coventry), COVENTRY HALFPENNY, large ear and trunk on elephant, no dot or stop after HALFPENNY, Y of HALFPENNY close to tail of elephant (5), edge PAYABLE AT BIRMINGHAM LONDON OR BRISTOL (Conder p.167, 67; Atkins p.221, 178; D&H Warwickshire 238); edge PAYABLE AT NUNEATON HINKLEY |||| OR ||| BEDWORTH (Atkins p.221, 178b; D&H Warwickshire 238b); edge PAYABLE X AT X CRONEBANE X OR * IN * DUBLIN * * * (Atkins p.221, 178c; D&H Warwickshire 238c); edge PAYABLE IN LANCASTER LONDON OR BRISTOL (Atkins p.221, 178d; D&H Warwickshire 238d); edge milled (Atkins p.221, 178e; D&H Warwickshire 238e); obv large 9 under horses hoof, small letters in legend, stop after legend, Godiva's head slightly under and to left of P of PUBLICO, tip of horses ear to base of B of BONO, rev upper left of castle aligns under base of Y of COVENTRY, upper right under first limb of A of HALFPENNY (3), edge milled to right (179; D&H Warwickshire 240); edge milled to left (Conder p.167, 68; Atkins p.221, 179a; D&H Warwickshire 240a); edge plain, not in collar (Atkins p.221, 179b; D&H Warwickshire 240b); obv Godiva's head under O of BONO (10), rev large ear and trunk on elephant, no dot or stop after HALFPENNY, Y of HALFPENNY close to tail of elephant (4), edge PAYABLE AT NUNEATON BEDWORTH OR HINKLEY (Atkins p.221, 180a; D&H Warwickshire 241a); edge milled to right (Atkins p.221, 180c; D&H Warwickshire 241c); edge milled to left (Conder p.167, 69; Atkins p.221, 180d; D&H Warwickshire 241d); edge plain (D&H Warwickshire 241e); rev protuberance on tail near Y and a tuft at the end (4), edge PAYABLE IN BEDWORTH HINKLEY OR NUNEATON (Atkins p.221, 181; D&H Warwickshire 242); edge PAYABLE AT BEDWORTH NUNEATON OR HINKLEY (Atkins p.221, 181a; D&H Warwickshire 242a); edge PAYABLE AT NUNEATON BEDWORTH OR HINKLEY (Atkins p.221, 181b; D&H Warwickshire 242b); edge PAYABLE AT LONDON OR ANGLESEY (Atkins p.221, 181d; D&H Warwickshire 242d); rev tuft at the end touches hind leg (2), edge PAYABLE AT NUNEATON |||| HINKLEY |||| OR |||| BEDWORTH (Atkins p.222, 182; D&H Warwickshire 243); edge milled to left (Atkins p.222, 182a; D&H Warwickshire 243a); rev upper left of castle aligns to space to right of Y of COVENTRY, upper right nearly under L of HALFPENNY (2), edge PAYABLE IN BEDWORTH HINKLEY OR NUNEATON (Atkins p.222, 183; D&H Warwickshire 244); edge PAYABLE AT LONDON OR ANGLESEY (Atkins p.222, 183a; D&H Warwickshire 244a); rev Y of HALFPENNY close to tail of elephant, tree branch on ground below, edge PAYABLE AT NUNEATON |||| HINKLEY |||| OR |||| BEDWORTH (Conder p.167, 69; Atkins p.222, 184; D&H Warwickshire 245); rev an ancient cross, COVY. CROSS upon base, COVENTRY HALFPENNY, large Y of COVY, edge PAYABLE AT THE WAREHOUSE OF THO AND ALEX HUTCHINSON (Atkins p.222, 185; D&H Warwickshire 246). Generally very fine to extremely fine, D&H 240b with faded colour remaining, D&H 238c, 238e, 240b and 244a scarce, D&H 238b, 242d, 243, 245 and 246 rare, D&H 241a extremely rare. (22)
D&H 238 ex Given Collection
D&H 238c, D&H 241c, D&H 241d, D&H 242, D&H 244a ex Lincoln Collection
D&H 238d, D&H 240a, D&H 242a, D&H 242d ex Dalton Collection
D&H 240b, D&H 243, D&H 243a, D&H 245 ex Spink
D&H 241e ex Dudman Collection
D&H 244 ex Spink, ex Yeates Collection
Lutwyche was active in the production of tokens from 1791 until 1801 and seems to have had more individual commissions for than any other manufacturer. His output of more than 65 tons of "legitimate provincial coins" was exceeded only by that of Thomas Williams, the consortium of Westwood and Hancock, and that of Matthew Boulton. He frequently combined dies then in his possession to produce various mules, concocted numerous specious issues, and has been attributed with manufacturing the bulk of evasions and lightweight coppers that appeared toward the end of the 18th Century
Estimate: £300-400