Owner Comments:
Middlesex Skidmore's Churches and Gates DH #566
Obverse: A side view of the new St. James' Clerkenwell ST. JAMES'S . CLERKENWELL. Ex: JACOBS in small letters
Reverse: The fictitious Arms of the Skidmore family between small branches SKIDMORE 123 HIGH HOLBORN . LONDON. DEALER IN COINS . MEDALS. in two lines
Edge: SKIDMORE HOLBORN LONDON
Diesinker: Benjamin Jacobs
Manufacturer: Paul Skidmore
Weight: 12.71g
Rarity: Common
The old St. James' Clerkenwell was taken down in 1788 and the new church was erected in 1792. The church is still in use.
In 1632 Pocahontas married Thomas Rolfe, son of John Rolfe, in 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 435
Dix Noonan Webb Desktop Sale, January 2011