Owner Comments:
Middlesex Skidmore's Churches and Gates DH #545a
Obverse: An east view of St. Michael's, Basinghall ST. MICHAEL BASING-HALL, ex: ST . B.T. 1679, ST upside down
Reverse: The Skidmore cypher PSCO in script DEDICATED TO COLLECTORS OF MEDALS & COINS . surrounding
Edge: Plain
Diesinker: Benjamin Jacobs
Manufacturer: Paul Skidmore
Rarity: Rare
The old church, as rebuilt in the 15th Century, was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. The church depicted was built 1676-79 and suffered from poor quality construction. In 1892 the church was judged unsafe and closed, eventually being demolished in 1900. The correct name of the church was St. Michael Bassishaw. The Guildhall offices now occupy the location of the church.
The family business of the token manufacturer Peter Skidmore was an iron foundry at 15 Coppice Row in Clerkenwell with a shop at No. 123, High Holborn. Skidmore realized that there was a market for tokens as the genuine tradesmen's pieces of the time were very keenly collected as they were issued. As well as making genuine tradesmens' tokens to order, he also made pennies and halfpennies for sale to collectors of the time - especially series of Buildings Tokens for London.
One of a set of 120 pieces - each portraying a well-known church in or around London.
Atkins: Middlesex 419