British Tokens, Tickets and Passes

LONDON or DUBLIN, Theatre Royal, a base or plated coin, engraved (Theatre Royal his Majesty’s Company), rev. engraved (William Earl of Harrington Ld Lt of Ireland, 1749), crown below date, 38mm, 22.63g. Fine to very fine, rare and unusual; with small piercing for suspension £240-300

The likelihood is that this is a ticket for the London Theatre Royal, rather than the Dublin facility of the same name. Very few tickets can be ascribed to the London Theatre Royal during the first half of the 18th century and it seems likely that coin discs were commandeered to suit the need in hand. William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, PC (1683-1756); educ. Eton; served in Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession in the 2nd and subsequently 3rd Foot Guards; British ambassador to Spain, 1720-7; Secretary of State 1730-42 and 1744-6; Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1747-51; died in London 8 December 1756