Tokens, Tickets and Passes, Historical Medals

LONDON, Covent Garden, Theatre Royal, First Theatre, 1793, uniface copper, two shilling gallery around th, date below, 34mm, 14.64g (W –; D & W –). Handling mark and scratch below monogram, otherwise very fine and exceptionally rare; no others seen by the cataloguer £150-£200

Provenance: F.S. Cokayne Collection.

In 1792, owing to the cost of rebuilding, all gallery prices at the theatre were fixed at 2 shillings by Thomas Harris, the then manager, whose initials appear on this piece. Two other 1793-dated types have long been known (W 117 and 118) but stylistically would appear to ante-date the present piece