The Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by Dr David L Spence

Lichfield, Richard Wright, uniface trial of the unfinished obv. die for the Penny [1800] by J.G. Hancock, bust of Richard Greene left, no buttons on coat, richard greene above, edge i promise to pay on demand the bearer one penny, 23.94g (DH 1). Extremely fine and of the highest rarity; back with the inked signature of S.H. Hamer and the number '19' (£800-1,000)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by Dr David L Spence.

View
Collection

Provenance:
D.T. Batty Collection
W. Norman Collection, Sotheby Auction, 13-15 July 1903, lot 247
S.H. Hamer Collection, Glendining Auction, 26-8 November 1930, lot 305 [from Verity]
bt Spink January 1974.

Illustrated on the front cover. This significant trial surfaced in the collection of the Manchester curio dealer and numismatist D.T. Batty. It was not described with Wright’s issued token in that part of Batty’s catalogue which detailed penny tokens, published in 1868, so it may have been a later acquisition. What became of Batty’s collection, other than his assemblage of Canadian tokens which were auctioned in 1902, is not known for certain; however, the fact that both W.J. Davis (from his 1901 sale) and the Newcastle upon Tyne collector William Norman had several tokens from it perhaps infers a north-country dispersal