Token, Burton upon Trent

Move your pointing device over the image to zoom to detail. If using a mouse click on the image to toggle zoom.
When in zoom mode use + or - keys to adjust level of image zoom.

Date:1660 - 1672 (c.)

Description:Burton-upon-Trent copper alloy token. Possibly issued by Benjamin Haften, a grocer.

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. In the 17th century, coining money was supposed to be the exclusive right of the sovereign, but this lapsed with the beheading of Charles I in 1649. Trade tokens soon appeared and continued to be issued until 1672, when Charles II issued official copper coins of his own.

Obverse: 'BURTON UPON TRENT'
Reverse: illegible

Share:


Ordering:Click the button to add the item to your basket. Follow the link for further information on ordering.

Donor ref:66.136.0085 (37/32945)

Source: Staffordshire Museum Service

Copyright information: Copyrights to all resources are retained by the individual rights holders. They have kindly made their collections available for non-commercial private study & educational use. Re-distribution of resources in any form is only permitted subject to strict adherence to the usage guidelines.