Online collections
monedastodas.com
All collections » Tokens » Spalding Halfpenny
Site search
On the front side, Britain is depicted standing on the seashore, holding a spear and a shield with the flag of Great Britain in her left hand, and an olive branch in her right hand. Behind her are people engaged in plowing and sowing and four ships. The circular legend, divided at the bottom by a leopard and a three-leafed branch, reads SUCCESS TO THE COMMERCE OF BRITAIN.
The reverse shows a shield with a monogram of capital letters TJ, decorated on both sides with floral branches and surmounted by a half-lion. Circle legend: "SPALDING HALFPENNY 1794".
Edge inscription: "PAYABLE AT T. IENNINGS'S SPALDING & HOLBEACH -X-".
Engraver Wyon, manufacturer Kempson. Circulation 10 cwts.
The initials TJ on the back are those of Thomas Jennings, a hardware and stationery dealer in Spalding and Holbeach. In the Jennings family crest, the lion holds a spear in its paws, which the engraver most likely forgot to depict.
On some tokens, there is a curious version of the edge inscription with an error: “PAYABLE AT I. JORDANS SPALDING & HOLBEACH -X-“. During this time, Wyon was working on a token for J. Jordan of Gospot, who was a writer for Market Notes. The engraver confused the two J. - Jordan and Jennings, but soon discovered and corrected his mistake.
There is also a rare version of the front side, where the circular inscription is rotated 180 degrees, but this matrix quickly broke down and was replaced by the one described.