The Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by Dr David L Spence

Uncertain locality, Joseph Askins, Jacobs’ Halfpence, 1796 (2), man standing with wooden leg, rev. legend in four lines, edge engrailed, 8.89g/6h (DH 252), edge grained, 9.30g/6h (DH 252a) [2]. Extremely fine, first patinated, second with a hint of original colour but with spot in obverse field, both rare (£150-200)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by Dr David L Spence.

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Collection

Provenance:
Fawcett/Litman Collection.

DH 252a only illustrated. Joseph Askins (b.1771), a one-legged potato planter from Walsall, used his peg leg for drilling holes to drop the seed potatoes in. He developed an astonishingly convincing voice-throwing technique which he would demonstrate at local shows and pageants. In 1796, word of his talents reached London and he was engaged for two weeks at Sadler's Wells Theatre as The Man With One Leg and Two Voices. The show was a phenomenal success, and in the course of a two-year run Askins single-handedly established ventriloquism as mainstream entertainment