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

Hancock and Jorden’s ‘End of Pain’ Halfpence (2), both with borders of hands, man hanging from gibbet, revs. Pandora’s breeches, snake below with head representative of Joseph Priestley, edge plain, 6.55g/12h (DH 829a), may the knave, etc, edge plain, 11.19g/12h (DH 830a) [2]. Very fine, first with the usual die crack on reverse, second better (£25-35)

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.

These most interesting pieces are, on the strength of contemporary record, the first political tokens. They were ‘executed as a joke’ in late 1792 by John Stubbs Jorden (b.1774), the diesinker who served his apprenticeship with John Gregory Hancock Sr, and commemorate the attempt to set fire to the House of Commons on 9 May of that year. The Pandora’s breeches die broke ‘after a few impressions were struck off’ according to William Hay [although in the cataloguer’s experience examples of DH 829a are not as rare as this comment might imply], and was replaced by the may the knave legend type (Dykes, BNJ 2001, pp.120-1)