Baldwin & Sons
Auction 102 4 October 2016
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BRITISH 18TH CENTURY TOKENS, ENGLAND, John Wilkinson (1728-1808), industrialist with interests in both iron and copper, Copper Halfpenny (8), 1790 (3), 1792, 1793 (4), forge reverse, all edge WILLEY SNEDSHILL BERSHAM BRADLEY, obv bust right, IOHN WILKINSON IRON MASTER, ribbed coat with collar, upper tie of queue points to W of WILKINSON (2), rev man working at a forge, 1790, straight 1 and 7, 0 under the anvil, line at the floor of oven (3), edge WILLEY SNEDSHILL BERSHAM BRADLEY (Atkins p.230, 266; D&H Warwickshire 387); edge oo between BRADLEY and WILLEY (Atkins p.230, 266a; D&H Warwickshire 387a); obv end of the queue curls below bust (Conder p.172, 119; Pye p.48, 7; Atkins p.230, 267; D&H Warwickshire 388); obv upper tie of queue points to W of WILKINSON (5), rev 1792, straight 1 and 7, 2 under edge of the anvil (Conder p.173, 124; Atkins p.230, 270; D&H Warwickshire 389); rev 1793, straight 1 and 7, 3 extends just beyond edge of the anvil, flat top to 1 and 7 (2), normal edge (Atkins p.231, 276; D&H Warwickshire 393); blundered edge, D and last L of SNEDSHILL partially filled in (Atkins p.231, 276a; D&H Warwickshire 393a); rev sloping top to 1 and 7 (2), normal edge (Atkins p.231, 277; D&H Warwickshire 394); blundered edge, D and last L of SNEDSHILL partially filled in (D&H Warwickshire 394a). Generally nearly extremely fine to good extremely fine, D&H 388 and 394a rare. (8)
D&H 387 ex Lincoln Collection
D&H 388, D&H 389, D&H 394 ex Dalton Collection
D&H 393a ex Given Collection
Wilkinson was successful in the development of a steam engine cylinder for the firm of Boulton & Watt in 1775, later issuing large quantities of tokens ostensibly to pay his employees. The tokens were referred to as "Willy's" and were heavily counterfeited. His use of his own portrait on the tokens was the subject of a satirical tract in the London Magazine in 1787. Wilkinson repeatedly reduced the weight of his tokens in an effort to shave costs and when he attempted to pay some of his employees in countersigned French assignats, parliament stepped in and stopped the practice in 1793.
Estimate: £200-300
D&H 387 ex Lincoln Collection
D&H 388, D&H 389, D&H 394 ex Dalton Collection
D&H 393a ex Given Collection
Wilkinson was successful in the development of a steam engine cylinder for the firm of Boulton & Watt in 1775, later issuing large quantities of tokens ostensibly to pay his employees. The tokens were referred to as "Willy's" and were heavily counterfeited. His use of his own portrait on the tokens was the subject of a satirical tract in the London Magazine in 1787. Wilkinson repeatedly reduced the weight of his tokens in an effort to shave costs and when he attempted to pay some of his employees in countersigned French assignats, parliament stepped in and stopped the practice in 1793.
Estimate: £200-300