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

Coventry, Thomas Sharp, Halfpenny, 1797, seated female, cityscape behind, rev. Georgian house with man leaning from upper window, edge coventry halfpenny payable by thomas sharp, 16.16g/12h (DH 312). Tiny obverse rim fault at 2 o’clock, otherwise brilliant and virtually as struck, bronzed, very rare (£200-250)

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.

48 struck. Thomas Sharp (1770-1841), hatter, antiquarian and numismatist, Little Park street, author of the Chetwynd catalogue of tokens published in 1834. The Georgian house where Sharp was born is said to have been the same building from which the Peeping Tom watched Lady Godiva ride naked through the streets of Coventry; the man leaning from the window on the token is supposed to represent the Peeping Tom. Sharp was a proponent of the Kempson series of Coventry tokens also dated 1797 (Dykes, BNJ 2001, pp.130-2)