The R C Bell Collection of British Trade Tokens

Warwickshire, Birmingham, W.J. Davis, 1900, copper, view of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford on Avon, reverse WHEN TIMES COMES ROUND, A CHRISTMAS BOX, etc., edge THE TOKEN COINAGE OF WARWICKSHIRE, 35mm (D. & W. p.324, no.9; Bell A3). Obverse field hairlined, otherwise extremely fine and brilliant, rare (£30-40)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The R C Bell Collection of British Trade Tokens.

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Bell, TT p.270.

William John Davis (1848-1934), trade unionist, numismatist and author of The Nineteenth Century Token Coinage; entered the brass trade as an apprentice, 1861, and worked in the Birmingham metal trade until 1882, including a spell with Ralph Heaton & Sons; elected first Secretary General of the National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers, 1872, and held the post until 1882; town councillor of Birmingham, 1880; H.M. Inspector of Factories, Sheffield, 1883; rejoined the N.S.A.B. 1889; JP 1906; Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the TUC, 1912. Davis’s principal collection of tokens, catalogued by himself and Arthur Waters, was sold at Sotheby’s in 1901; other groups of coins, medals and tokens were sold piecemeal by auction in several sales between 1906 and 1925. In the latter year he moved permanently from Birmingham and settled in Paris. His death occurred in October 1934