British Tokens

GLAMORGANSHIRE, Landore, British Copper Co, Pattern Penny, 1812, by P. Wyon, in copper, british copper company in wreath, smelting works at landore around, rev. lion walking left, above value and date, rolling mills at walthamstow around, edge centre-grained, 23.33g/7h (W 574, this piece; Sharp, p.193, no.3, this piece). Trifling marks, otherwise virtually as struck with red-brown patina, UNIQUE; by far the most important early 19th century Welsh token extant, only 4 owners from new £1,000-£2,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, 19th Century Tokens from the Collection of the Late Francis Cokayne.

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Provenance: Gift of the artist, Peter Wyon, at 2 Nassau street, Soho square, London, to Sir George Chetwynd, 2nd Bt (1783-1850), between 1812 and 1822; Sir George Chetwynd Collection, Christie’s Auction, 30 July-2 August 1872, lot 46 (part); W. Norman Collection, Sotheby Auction, 27-8 June 1905, lot 188.

Although present-day terminology would render this a pattern, Sharp and previous cataloguers have used Sharp’s nomenclature ‘fine proof’. If it is accepted as a pattern, one could argue that it should appear at the head of the series, but to avoid confusion it has been retained here in line with the Withers enumeration