Coins, Tokens and Historical Medals

Charles II (1660-1685), Pattern Farthing, unsigned, in copper, mm. cinquefoil, crown, the kings grace is, rev. the poores releife, oak-tree with bust of King in centre, three crowns on the branches, edge plain, 1.19g/3h (Cooke –; BMC 464). Verdigris spot in centre of obverse, otherwise very fine and extremely rare £300-£400

Provenance: R.H. Thompson Collection [from A. Judd].

The neat style of this piece, and the cinquefoil mint-mark, has certain parallels in the series of private 17th century trade tokens dating from about 1664, and is perhaps a further effort to convince the powers-that-be that there should be a regal copper coinage; one is tempted to suggest that perhaps the concept was shelved due to the Plague and Fire