Owner Comments:
Warwickshire Wilkinson DH #412 (mislabeled as #413)
Diesinker: John Hancock
Manufacturer: Matthew Boulton
Issuer: John Wilkinson
Obverse: A bust facing right IOHN WILKINSON IRON MASTER
Reverse: the interior of a forge 1793
Edge: WILLEY SNEDSHILL BERSHAM BRADLEY
Rarity: Rare
John Wilkinson (1728-1808), arguably the best known of the 18th century ironmasters, grew up in Cumbria but at the age of 20 moved to Bradley, near Bilston, to work in the iron trade. In the mid 1750s he became manager of the Willey ironworks on Lord Forester’s estate, near Broseley, and later senior partner; in 1758 he built his first blast furnace at Bradley, which became such a success that by 1772 he had purchased the local manor and estate.
In 1774 he constructed the New Willey ironworks, where he built the world’s first large iron barge, the 'Trial' which was launched on 6 July 1787. Wilkinson’s vast business empire also encompassed an iron mine and blast furnaces at Snedshill, near Oakengates, sold in 1793-4 and an ironworks at Bersham in the parish of Wrexham, Denbighshire, which he took over from his father Isaac in 1762 and where cannons and the cylinders required for Watt’s rotating steam engine were produced.
These copper halfpennies were issued to pay his workers and to facilitate trade and small day to day transactions in this era of little small change.
Atkins: Warwickshire 274