18th Century British Trade Tokens

Middlesex [Specious and Collectors’], Thomas Spence, Halfpenny, countermarked partnership in land/the land is ours you rogues, 7.50g/12h (on DH Middlesex 676); George III, Penny, 1797, obv. countermarked no landlords you fools spence’s plan you rogues, 26.98g; Halfpence (5), countermarked liberty/liberty, 6.49g (on George III imitation Halfpenny), partnership in land/or for ever starvation, 7.44g, spence’s plan full bellies/& every blessing, 7.03g, spence’s plan full bellies/and every blessing, 7.04g, spence’s plan small farms/& fat bellies you rogues, 7.02g (cf. Thompson, BNJ 1969, p.156) [7]. First very fine, others in varied state £200-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Tokens from the Late David Griffiths Collection.

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Provenance: Fifth gift of A. Davisson 2001; sixth bt S.E. Schwer 1987; others mostly bt Baldwin 1987.

First only illustrated. Spence’s countermarked pieces, advancing his plan for agrarian reform, are believed to have first appeared sometime after he sold his token dies to Peter Skidmore (Thompson, BNJ 1969, p.155).