1 Penny 1812

Weight

19 g

Diameter

34 mm

Thickness

2.3 mm

Material

Copper

Shape

Round

Edge Type

Central diagonal milling

Technique

Milled

Front design

Seven-line inscription. Beaded border

Back design

A perspective view of St. Mary's Church in the distance, with a path (made by an avenue trees both sides) leading up to it; value in exergue. Beaded border

Year of Minting

1812

Ruler

NA

Mint location

NA

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Coin alignment ↑↓

Inscriptions

Obverse: A POUND NOTE FOR 240 TOKENS GIVEN BY JOHN BISHOP & CO. CHELTENHAM 1812 Reverse: VALUE ONE PENNY

Context

In the 18th and 19th century, it wasn't unusual for regional businesses to issue their own 'coinage' when there was a shortage of actual currency. It is important to note, however, that tokens like this one weren't necessarily meant to replace government-issued coinage; although many of these tokens have a monetary value included on them, the intent was that they would be used towards purchasing goods from a specific retailer or merchant. Records show that John Bishop was a linen draper (cloth merchant) in London, but it is unclear when or why the business would have been moved to Cheltenham. It is an interesting token nonetheless. Because so many different merchants issued trade tokens with similar denominations and themes, most of them aren't very valuable unless they are in better condition. There is also a silver version of this token (one shilling denomination, with name of William Bastin and dated 1811). St. Mary’s church is the only surviving medieval building in Cheltenham; in the Domesday Book the church and its land were recorded as belonging to William the Conqueror's chancellor, Regenbald.

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

Merchant tokens

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0