BRITISH 18TH CENTURY TOKENS, ENGLAND, Skidmore, Copper Halfpenny mule, obv STRUCK IN HONOR AND TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF SHAKESPEARE BORN APRIL 1564 DIED APRIL 1616, rev pair of breeches on fire, a serpent with a man's head below, PANDORRAS . BREECHES around, edge plain (Conder p.289, 260; Atkins p.228, 247; D&H Warwickshire 325). Nearly good extremely fine, toned, rare.
ex Tatton Collection
Founded by John Skidmore (1748-1823) and later joined by his second son, Paul (b. 1775) in 1795 or 1796. They carried on an iron-foundry and held the appointment of stovegrate maker to His Majesty's Board of Ordnance. The company produced numerous tokens, ultimately responsible for more than a quarter of all the token varieties produced in the late 18th Century, including those issued by Matthew Denton, Thomas Prattent, and Thomas Spence.
Estimate: £100-150