Description
Great Britain, Wales, Anglesey, Amlwch, Parys Mines Company, Copper Penny Trade Token, dated 1787, obverse: druid’s head with a large beard to left within thick oak wreath, two inner leaves over head between acorns, acorn at point of hood, four acorns at tie, reverse: PMCo cypher at centre, date above, WE PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ONE PENNY around within border of acorns, long-topped P of PMCo terminates to right of first ascending stroke of M, straight 1 and 7, 1 under second limb of second N of PENNY, 7 under W of WE, edge ON DEMAND IN LONDON LIVERPOOL OR ANGLESEY, diam. 33mm (Dalton & Hamer “The Provincial Token Coinage of the 18th Century” 84, this token illustrated).
Extremely fine, from a fractured reverse die, minor blemishes, a bit of red casting wax adhering.
Ex Baldwin’s Basement Collection, Baldwin’s Auction 102, September 2016, lot 2314.
The tokens of the Parys Mines Company may well be considered the “premier tokens” of the Eighteenth Century. It is thought that this druid head design was used because Thomas Williams (original manufactuer of the tokens) lived at Plas Llanidan, close to the battle fields of the Romans and Druids in AD61 and AD76.
