Description:A copper farthing token coin advertising T. Wilkes' Tea Dealers, Church Street, Darlaston, Wednesbury.
During the 19th century it was common for publicans, licencees and shopkeepers to issue their own tokens or 'checks'. Most of the checks issued in Staffordshire were made by Birmingham and Black Country diesinkers and stamping workshops. They could be spent on goods sold at the named shop, and they also served as advertisements for the business.
Token coins such as this were issued by businesses and other organisations when official coinage was in short supply. In theory, tokens would circulate only where their issuer was known or trusted, but in practice trade tokens were circulated widely and used in exactly the same way as official coinage. There was an upsurge in the production of token coinage between 1787 and 1803 as the rapid industrialization of Britain and later the effect of the Napoleonic Wars led to shortages of small denominations. Token coinage from this period is usually of a high quality.
Obverse: 'VICTORIA REGINA'. Profile of Victoria.
Reverse: ' T. WILKES, TEA DEALER, CHURCH STREET, DARLASTON'.