17th Century Tokens from the Collection of Quentin Archer

London (City), Chancery Lane neighbourhood, T[homas] K[ent], Farthing, 0.88g/7h (N 6749c, this piece; BW. 510), William Mart, Halfpenny, 1.24g/12h (N 6751; BW. 514; D 1087A), Humphrey Taft, Farthing, 1665, 1.46g/12h (N 6748; BW. 524); Cheapside, Edward Attwood, Farthing, 0.90g/12h (N –; BW. 572; Berry (1978) p.47), T[homas] C[oates], Farthing, 1650, 0.88g/6h (N 6762; BW. 575) [5]. BW. 572 good fine and extremely rare, others in varied state, N 6762 very rare
£90-£120

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, 17th Century Tokens from the Collection of Quentin Archer.

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Collection

Provenance: N 6748 bt M.J. Dickinson September 2014 [from Seaby]; N 6749 Norweb Collection, Spink Auction 195, 26 June 2008, lot 425 (part), bt M. Trenerry July 2010; N 6751 bt M. Trenerry July 2010; N 6762 bt I.J. Smith August 2003; *BW. 572 bt J.N. Holman March 2013.

N 6749 and N 6751 were both issued from the King's Head Tavern, which used to stand at the south-west corner of Chancery Lane. It was located on the site of the house of Sir John Oldcastle, on whom Shakespeare modelled Sir John Falstaff. In 1564 it was one of the 40 London taverns permitted to trade in the City of London. In 1678 it was an alleged meeting-place for the Popish Plot, and in Ned Ward's The London Spy of 1703 it was recorded that "the best wine in England is to be drank" there. Humphrey Taft, cutler. Edward Attwood, painter-stainer and constable. Thomas Coates, vintner