CV's 18th Century Provincial Tokens of Great Britian
HP-4

Owner Comments:

Gye's 1794 halfpenny

REFERENCE: Somersetshire-Bath D&H 34
DIAMETER: 30mm
WEIGHT:
COMPOSITION: copper
DIESINKER: Thomas Wyon
MANUFACTURER: William Lutwyche
RARITY: common (more than 150 known)

OBVERSE: arms of the City of Bath with date below: "W. GYE PRINTER & STATIONER BATH 1794"
REVERSE: Benevolence directing her messenger to open a prison gate. In the foreground are some urns and in the sky the radiating words "GO FORTH": "REMEMBER THE DEBTORS IN ILCHESTER GOAL".
EDGE: "PAYABLE AT W. GYE'S PRINTER BATH X.X"

Issued for general circulation with original mintage of 41,200.

William Gye was an agent to the Ilchester debtors and visited the gaol weekly. When giving change at his shop Gye would call attention to a container on his counter to receive donations for the prisoners.