Baldwin & Sons
Auction 102 4 October 2016
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BRITISH 18TH CENTURY TOKENS, SCOTLAND, John Milton, (1759-1805), engraver and die-sinker with a shop at 3 Rolls-buildings, Fetter Lane, London, Copper Penny, obv bust of the Prince of Wales left, GEORGIVS . WALLAE . PRINCEPS around, rev Prince of Wales' crest and motto, edge plain (D&H Ayrshire 1). From the fractured obverse die, essentially as made and extremely rare.
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
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