BRITISH 18th CENTURY TOKENS, Robert Orchard, Copper Penny, 1801, obv bust of Robert Orchard facing forward, ROBERT . ORCHARD . SAWBRIDGEWORTH . . HERTS . . around, rev book lying at the foot of a tree, a church in the distance, * SAWBRIDGEWORTH * PENNY * TOKEN * Ex. * * PAYABLE * * FEBY. XI * 1801 * around, edge plain (Atkins p.46, 1; D&H Hertfordshire 1). From the cracked and unrepaired obverse die and the broken reverse die. A cut inflicted on the reverse and a little rub on the highest points of the nose and forelock of the obverse, and on the leaves of the tree on the reverse, otherwise essentially as made. Exceedingly rare with only five specimens traced and this is the single known example available in this die state.
ex Thomas Lloyd Collection, Sotheby's, 10 May 1878, lot 278.
ex S H Hamer Collection, Glendinings, 26-28 November 1930, lot 91, to A H Baldwin & Sons Ltd for F S Cokayne for
We suspect that Mr Cokayne was delighted in the outcome because he noted that a specimen, lot 59 of the sale at Glendinings on 18 April 1923, "fetched £145!!!" and that "my specimen - a finer one fetched (only) £31.00". Baldwin's had been instructed to bid no more than £145 15s for this lot. The curious amount of 15-Shillings as part of his bid instructions turns up with some frequency in his purchases.£31
Estimate: £8000-10,000