Description
Great Britain, Warwickshire, John Wilkinson (1728-1808, an industrialist with interests in both iron and copper; he was successful in the development of a steam engine cylinder for the firm of Boulton & Watt in 1775, later issuing large quantities of tokens ostensibly to pay his employees), Uniface Copper Halfpenny, an impression of the reverse die, dated 1790, obverse: blank, reverse: figure of Vulcan seated (the god of fire, including volcanoes, metalworking and the forge in ancient Roman religion and myth, he is often depicted with a blacksmith’s hammer; his Greek counterpart is Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithery; he is the patron god of the English steel-making city of Sheffield, his statue sits on top of Sheffield Town Hall; a Vulcan statue, located in Birmingham, Alabama (USA), is the largest cast iron statue in the world), HALFPENNY above, date in exergue, Y of HALFPENNY just above the bar, stop just above the top pennant, edge PAYABLE AT MACCLESFIELD LIVERPOOL OR CONGLETON, diam. 29mm (Dalton & Hamer “The Provincial Token Coinage of the 18th Century” unlisted, noted as 430 bis).
Extremely fine, small scrape under Vulcan’s upraised arm, most likely unique.
Ex Lincoln “No. 1” Collection, acquired by F S Cokayne 4 May 1934
Ex Baldwin’s Basement Collection, Baldwin’s Auction 97, September 2015, lot 1914
