Baldwin & Sons
Auction 102 4 October 2016
View prices realized
► Sale information
Find similar lots
BRITISH 18TH CENTURY TOKENS, ENGLAND, John Milton, (1751-1843), grocer and draper, Winchelsea, Copper Penny, 1796, obv a church and tombs, HACKNEY CHURCH MCCXC around, I Milton F in script in exergue, rev figure of Time, seated upon a cabinet supporting a medal inscribed DAVID ALVES REBELLO, MEMORIA AETERNA around, initial M on exergue line below cabinet, edge plain (Conder p.69, 7; Pye p.22, 2; Atkins p.71, 13; D&H Middlesex 24). Nearly good extremely fine and very rare, only 28 struck.
Milton was appointed as Assistant Engraver at the Royal Mint in 1787 and was Medalist to the Prince of Wales. Milton executed dies for a number of provincial coins including those for Colonel Fullarton. Sir Joseph Banks noticed these dies while they were still in Milton's possession and, remarking upon their resemblance to national silver coin then in circulation, cautioned Milton against the project as the artist may be subject to "a charge little short of High Treason". The project was ultimately abandoned but Milton was later dismissed from the Royal Mint in 1798 after it was learned that he had been supplying counterfeit dies to produce foreign gold.
Estimate: £500-700
Milton was appointed as Assistant Engraver at the Royal Mint in 1787 and was Medalist to the Prince of Wales. Milton executed dies for a number of provincial coins including those for Colonel Fullarton. Sir Joseph Banks noticed these dies while they were still in Milton's possession and, remarking upon their resemblance to national silver coin then in circulation, cautioned Milton against the project as the artist may be subject to "a charge little short of High Treason". The project was ultimately abandoned but Milton was later dismissed from the Royal Mint in 1798 after it was learned that he had been supplying counterfeit dies to produce foreign gold.
Estimate: £500-700