Owner Comments:
Middlesex Skidmore's Churches and Gates DH #606a
Obverse: A view of St. Mary's church ST MARY'S . LOVE-LANE. Ex: B.T. 1781.
Reverse: The Skidmore cypher - PSCO in script DEDICATED TO COLLECTORS OF MEDALS & COINS . surrounding
Edge: COVENTRY TOKEN
Diesinker: Likely Benjamin Jacobs
Manufacturer: Paul Skidmore
Weight: 14.71g
Rarity: Common
St Mary-at-Hill is a parish church is located on Lovat Lane in Billingsgate ward. Founded in the 12th century it was heavily damaged in the 1666 Great Fire of London which started in the neighboring Pudding Lane. The church was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren. The church was also severely damaged in a fire in 1988. Following the closure of three neighboring parishes the church is now called “St Mary-at-Hill with St Andrew Hubbard, Eashcheap, St George, Botolph Lane; and St Botolph by Billingsgate”. The church is a Grade I listed building.
On a numismatic note a hoard of coins (the Mary Hill hoard) was discovered in a basement near St Mary-at-Hill in the 18th century.
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 466
Bt. Heritage Sale, 13 May 2024