1 Farthing - Esto Justus Malton North Yorkshire 1815

Weight

3.83 g

Diameter

21.5 mm

Thickness

1 mm

Material

Copper

Shape

Round

Edge Type

Reeded

Technique

Milled

Front design

Inscription on two lines

Back design

Inscription on two lines

Year of Minting

1815

Ruler

NA

Mint location

NA

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

NA

Inscriptions

Obverse: MALTON 1815 Reverse: ESTO JUSTUS

Context

1815 Esto Justus Malton Farthing. Interesting little copper tokens, these. Nobody is really quite sure what their function was, if indeed they did have a specific purpose for use. Copper tokens were produced privately at this time to satisfy the need for small denomination currency following the dearth of coinage in the wake of the Napoleonic wars . The only source I can find suggests that they were commissioned for use by the landlords of the Malton Estate in Yorkshire to be given to tenants on rent days if they paid their rent on time. In return an appropriate number of these tokens were a reward to be spent in the local hostelries. In other words, a kind of pub token but not specific to a particular inn. This doesn't really explain the significance of the inscription however. ESTO JUSTUS means be just in Latin. Whatever the answer is, they are well struck as this one is, with clear lettering and a very well-executed milled edge , quite unusual in a copper coin of this denomination. They only appear dated 1815 and that in itself may explain why no further ones were struck afterwards, because of course the "Great Recoinage" followed in 1816. It is 21.5mm diameter and weighs 3.83g.

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

Emergency coinage › Merchant tokens

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0