Owner Comments:
Middlesex Skidmore’s Churches and Gates DH #542
Obverse: The front of an ancient church ST. BARTHOLOMEW . THE . GREAT. BT. 1628 Ex: JACOBS. in small letters
Reverse: The Skidmore cypher PSCO in script DEDICATED TO COLLECTORS OF MEDALS & COINS . surrounding
Edge: Plain
Diesinker: Benjamin Jacobs
Manufacturer: Paul Skidmore
Weight: 11.44g
Rarity: Common
St. Bartholomew the Great was founded in 1123 as an Augustinian Priory. It is located at West Smithfield within the City of London. A medieval church in Norman architecture with a fine timber roof and has the most significant Norman interior in London. The church was partially rebuilt in 1410 and was restored in the late nineteenth century. The church is a Grade 1 listed building and has been used as a location in many movies.
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 417
Bt. Merfyn Williams