© GT Foreman (CC BY-NC)
© GT Foreman (CC BY-NC)
½ Penny Warwickshire - Coventry / Kempson's
1797 year| Copper | - | 28.5 mm |
| Issuer | United Kingdom (United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies) |
|---|---|
| King | George III (1760-1820) |
| Type | Token |
| Year | 1797 |
| Value | ½ Penny (1⁄480) |
| Currency | Conder tokens (1787-1797) |
| Composition | Copper |
| Diameter | 28.5 mm |
| Thickness | 3 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Milled |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-09 |
| Numista | N#327574 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 95% |
Reverse
Arms of Coventry, an elephant bearing a castle on it’s back. Above the shield is a crest of a cat, stagnant, gardant.
Script: Latin
Lettering:
THE ARMS OF COVENTRY
P. KEMPSON FECIT.
17 97
Engraver: Peter Kempson
Edge
Plain with incuse lettering
Lettering: COVENTRY~~~TOKEN~~~~
Comment
This token is one of a series of Peter Kempson conders based upon Coventry landmarks. DH#257 is the pictured coin. DH#256 has the same obverse, very similar reverse but with no period after P of P Kempson and it has a plain edge.Interesting fact
The A Token ½ Penny (Warwickshire - Coventry / Kempson's) 1797 coin from the United Kingdom is interesting because it was issued during a time of severe coinage shortages in the late 18th century. To address this issue, many private token issuers, such as Kempson's, produced their own copper tokens to serve as small change. This particular coin is a rare example of a privately issued token that was used as currency during that time.
