Owner Comments:
Middlesex Skidmore's Churches and Gates DH #540
Obverse: A south view of St. Ann's church ST. ANN'S ALDERSGATE. Ex: B.T. 1680
Reverse: The Skidmore cypher PSCO in script DEDICATED TO COLLECTORS OF MEDALS & COINS . surrounding
Edge: Plain
Diesinker: Benjamin Jacobs
Manufacturer: Paul Skidmore
Weight: 14.48g
Rarity: Common
The original building, known as St. Anne-in-the-Willows, dating back to the early 14th century, was gutted by fire in 1548, rebuilt and then destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666. The church was rebuilt in 1683 and was badly damaged in the Blitz during WW2. Rebuilt once again and known as St. Anne and St. Agnes, the congregation merged with St. Mary-at-Hill and the church was re-purposed as the VOCESS8 Centre, an educational center.
Famous past parishioners include John Milton, Paul Bunyan and John Wesley.
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 415
Bt. Gary Groll