Owner Comments:
Note: NGC holdered this coin in a non-typical way. The coin is opposite of normal (Obverse on label side) practice. The Arms of Glasgow should probably be on the label side for consistency with the references. So please read Referenced descriptions below carefully for determining the Obverse and Reverse.
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iv. 18th Century Genuine Trade Tokens in Copper
Lanarkshire
ST257 Glasgow, halfpenny. Town arms. R. River god D&H 2 - 5 (Some mules, some possibly fraudulent copies) 75p
Reference #1
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LANARKSHIRE
Halfpennies
2. Glasgow. Shearer's. G.T.T there were several tons of it struck from the dies by by Droz and manufactured at the Soho factory. I think Hamer is in error in saying the dies are by Dixon, as I do not think he worked at the Soho mint.
Reference #2
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Scotland
Lanarkshire
No. 5 D&H 2
Arms of the City of Glasgow ( Per fess argent and gules, on a mount vert, an oak tree proper; the stem at the base surmounted by a salmon, on its back proper, with a signet ring in its mouth, or; on the top of the tree a redbreast, and in the sinister fess point, pendent to the tree, a bell, both also proper) Legend: - Let Glasgow Flourish.
Reverse: - Wreathed semi-nude recumbent figure of a river god resting on a sedgy bank with his legs partly in the water. His outstretched left hand holds an antique stern-oar charged with the arms of St. Andrew: while his right arm rests on an urn, bearing the word Clyde, from which water is flowing. Legend: - Nunquam Arescere and in the exergue MDCCXCI with R.D. in very small letters beneath.
Edge: - Payable At The House of Gilbert Shearer & Co.
Diesinker, Droz; manufacturer, Boulton.
Several tons were struck.
Common.
There are several counterfeits, and also a series of mules.
Reference #3
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Lanarkshire
Halfpennies
Glasgow
2. O: The arms of Glasgow. Let Glasgow Flourish.
R: A river god reclining on an urn, inscribed Clyde, from which water is issuing. Nunquam Arescere. Ex: MDCCXCI. The initials R.D. under.
E: Payable at the House of Gilbert Shearer & Co:
Also struck in silver and brass
2a. Same as last, but without the colon at the end of edge inscription, and the o looks like a c.
2b. E: Payable at H. Brownbills Silversmith.
2c. E: Plain (In collar)
Reference #4
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References
#1 Seaby's Standard Catalogue of British Coins, Part 4. Coins and Tokens of Scotland Compiled By: P. Franck Purvey. B. A. Seaby LTD, 1972. Seaby's Numismatic Publicatios LTD.
#2 Notes on Eighteenth Century Tokens by Arthur W Waters, Seaby's numismatic Publications 1954
#3 Commercial Coins 1787 -1804 by R. C. Bell, Corbitt & Hunter LTD 1963
#4 The Provincial Token - Coinage of the 18th Century Illustrated, By R, Dalton & S.H. Hamer 1910 - 1918, Reprint 2015, The Copper Corner