Owner Comments:
Middlesex Skidmore's Churches and Gates DH #570
Obverse: A south east view of St. Stephen's church, Coleman Street ST. STEPHENS. above, JACOBS in small letters beneath the church. Ex: 1670 COLEMAN . ST . BT. In two lines
Reverse: The Skidmore cypher PSCO in script DEDICATED TO COLLECTORS OF MEDALS & COINS . surrounding
Edge: Plain
Diesinker: Benjamin Jacobs
Manufacturer: Paul Skidmore
Rarity: Common
Established in the late 12th century, St. Stephen’s became a parish church in in the 15th century. In the early 1600’s the parish had become a stronghold of puritan beliefs. In 1637 the Vicar John Davenport sailed for New England with a group of parishioners, sailing first to Boston and then on to Long Island.
The body of the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt by the office of Christopher Wren. The church was destroyed in the Blitz of 1940 and is now the site of an office building.
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 438
Bt. Brian Herriott