Owner Comments:
Although this coin is no longer the most impressive piece in my collection it holds an exceptional place because of the memories affixed to it – mainly the formation of friendship with Bill McKivor, the notorious Conder Token dealer. Bill and I met in May of 2020 when I reached out about a 1799 Farthing (pictured below) he had for sale in his final list. At the time, I did not have the funds to cover the entire purchase (I was still an impoverished grad student). Despite the lack of complete funds and the fact that he had no idea who I was, he treated me like an old friend instead of a stranger. As our friendship grew so did our emails as we discussed Matthew Boulton, the Soho Mint, antique cars, and shared stories from our lives. Emails eventually turned into countless hours of chatting on the phone. It was not uncommon for us to cut our conversations short because our phone batteries couldn’t keep up! I learned so much from him, even facts not found in the most authoritative references on the Soho Mint. Bill could tell a good story and his passion for history was contagious. His knowledge, passion, gregarious personality, and kind heart made him an ideal mentor. Without him, I would not have pursued the medals struck at the Soho Mint, much less tokens and my collecting journey would likely be substantially different than it is now. Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned from Bill is that life is what you make of it. He always encouraged me to grasp opportunities when they became available, and that is a lesson I have fully embraced. Although Bill is no longer with us, his memory will forever live in my collection.
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Obverse: The bust of George III faces right. A ten-leaved wreath with three berries (the two lowest have been recut) rests on his head, which is tied behind his head by a riband with one loop and one loose end. His hair is tightly formed with a series of three curls obscuring the top of his ear. A large drooping curl of hair falls freely and rests just above the front of his shoulder. A series of indistinguishable curls flow freely behind his head from the riband and flow behind his shoulder. Another larg curl of hair rests on his left shoulder. The King is draped in fabric, which is secured by a brooch on his right shoulder that consists of 6 round jewels of varying sizes. Some appear to have been recut. A moderately sized dot appears partially within the lowest fold of the drapery but is bisected by the outermost border of the drapery. The legend
GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX appears around the bust but closely hugs the toothed border contained within a thin raised rim. The date
1799 appears just below the bust.
Reverse: Britannia is depicted facing left wearing a close-fitting drapery sitting on a rock surrounded by waves. Her right arm is extended, and her hand holds an olive branch with 7 leaves and no berries. Several of these leaves appear to be detached due to over polishing of the die before striking. Her left arm is down with a trident clasped in her hand, of which the middle prong points just left of the first limb of the 2nd “N” in Britannia. An oval shield with a thin raised rim adorned with the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew (heraldically colored) rests on the rock Britannia is sitting on. A ribbon appears below the bottom right of the shield which reads
SOHO. Slightly above this appears a single raised dot on the rock to the right of the shield. A 3-masted warship appears in the sea in front of her about halfway down her leg. A series of three waves appear in the foreground, which is sharply cut into a semicircle. The denomination
1 . FARTHING . appears between two quatrefoils in the exergue. The reverse legend
BRITANNIA appears around the top of the seated figure but closely hugs the toothed border contained within a thin raised rim.
Edge: Engrailed
Notes: Although this coin holds an extraordinary amount of sentimental value, it boasts an impressive provenance and drips in originality. The Boulton provenance traces this coin’s ownership over two centuries – not many can make the same claim. Beyond that impressive facet, this coin is remarkably well preserved, which is undoubtedly a testament to the protection offered by the silver-lined brass shells (i.e., the original 200-year-old mint packaging). Taken together, this coin is about as original as it can get!