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

Leek, issuer uncertain, Kempson's Halfpence, 1793 (8), large letters on rev., leek edge, 11.55g/6h (DH 10), small letters (7), leek edge (5), 11.96g/7h (DH 11, large [30mm] flan), 11.91g/7h (DH 12), 12.06g/6h (DH 13), 8.84g/6h (DH 14), 11.65g/6h DH 15), edge grained, 10.91g/6h (DH 13a), birmingham edge, 9.13g/6h (DH 14a); mule Halfpence by Lutwyche (2), revs. Justice, edge plain, 9.60g/6h (DH 16a), edge grained, 9.82g/6h (DH 17) [10]. DH 13a and 17 extremely fine with considerable original colour, DH 14, 14a and 15 fine, others very fine and patinated (£80-100)

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, additionally:
DH 10, 11 and 15 F.W. Lincoln Collection, Glendining Auction, 12-13 February 1936, lot 308 (part) [10 from Baldwin, 11 from Spink, 15 from J. Henry]
DH *13a and 17 SNC May 1912 (100672, 100676).

Although R.T. Samuel suggested the issuer was Ford and Phillips, a notation copied by Dalton and Hamer and Bell, there is no substantive proof of this attribution. In the late 18th century Leek had an extensive silk and textile industry employing some 2,000 people in the town and 1,000 from nearby villages. A staple part of this industry was button-making and Phillips and Ford (note the style of the company name) was one such company of button-makers; it is equally likely that the town’s two principal silk dyeing businesses in Mill street, one run by the Badnall family which had been established by William Badnall (†1760), the other by Thomas Ball, could have had a hand in the token issue