Important British Trade Tokens

Warwickshire, Birmingham, William Davis, private token, 1900, in silver, by J.A. Restall, view of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford on Avon, i promise to give good exchange for rare tokens, rev. Davis’ address around when time comes round, christmas box, etc, edge the token coinage of warwickshire, 35mm, 22.35g/12h (D & W 342/10; Bell A3). Virtually as struck with grey tone, very rare (£150-200)

Provenance:
W.J. Noble Collection, Noble Numismatics Pty Auction 62 (Sydney), 17-18 November 1999, lot 400 [from Seaby 1975]
D.E. Litrenta Collection.

William John Davis (1848-1934), trade unionist, numismatist and author of The Nineteenth Century Token Coinage, lived at The Lindens, Trafalgar Road, Moseley. He entered the brass trade as an apprentice, 1861, and worked in the Birmingham metal trade until 1882, including a spell with Ralph Heaton & Sons; subsequently he was elected first Secretary General of the National Society of Amalgamated Brassworkers, 1872, and held the post until 1882; town councillor of Birmingham, 1880; H.M. Inspector of Factories, Sheffield, 1883; rejoined the N.S.A.B. 1889; JP 1906; Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of the TUC, 1912. Davis’s principal collection of tokens, catalogued by himself and Arthur Waters, was sold at Sotheby’s in 1901; other groups of coins, medals and tokens were sold piecemeal by auction in several sales between 1906 and 1925. In 1921 he moved permanently from Birmingham and settled in Paris