Watch List notes:

BRITISH 18TH CENTURY TOKENS, ENGLAND, Thomas Spence, 1750-1814), Newcastle schoolmaster and writer who moved to London in 1792, where he set up shop as a bookseller and became an active member of the London Corresponding Society, Copper Farthing, 1796, obv barge under sail to left, * * COALY * TYNE * * around, 1796 in exergue, rev sailor standing right, NEWCASTLE FARTHING around, edge milled (D&H unlisted, noted as D&H Northumberland 28a). A little softly struck on a large planchet, a few minor blemishes, otherwise good extremely fine, retaining some colour, exceedingly rare, this the only specimen traced.

ex Waite-Sanderson Collection

ex F S Cokayne Collection, acquired 14 December 1944 for 42/-
Spence allowed his home and shop to be used for meetings and, in May 1794, was arrested along with a dozen others, and remitted to Newgate Prison for his efforts. Upon release he entered the business of selling tokens, publishing a handbill listing twenty obverse and twenty reverse dies that could be ordered paired in any combination, and authoring an early guide to the series, The Coin Collector's Companion in 1795. He issued and sold a variety of tokens before quitting the business in late 1796. His stock and dies passed to Skidmore where they continued to be muled amongst themselves and with others then in Skidmore's possession.

Estimate: £400-600