Owner Comments:
Middlesex London and Westminster Series DH #94
Obverse: The front of a large building flanked by two high towers St. PAULS SCHOOL above in two lines Ex: FOUNDED 1509 with an irradiated book representing learning
Reverse: The Arms of London and Westminster impaled and surmounted by a mural crown. Edged with a border of small quatrefoils LONDON AND WESTMINSTER PENNY 1797
Edge: I PROMISE TO PAY ON DEMAND THE BEARER ONE PENNY X
Diesinker: Benjamin Jacobs
Manufacturer: Thomas Prattent
Rarity: Rare
St. Paul’s School stood in the churchyard of St. Paul’s Cathedral. The building depicted was replaced by another building in 1823 on the same site. This later school was replaced by the current school. The original school was founded in 1509. The building depicted was the second school, built in 1666 after the original building was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. A private school, it is ranked in the top 150 private schools in the world. In 2025 it was ranked as the #1 school in the UK.
Thomas Prattent was a draftsman, engraver, printer and print seller in London. He was the co-author with William Denton of the “The Virtuoso’s Companion and Coin Collector’s Guide” and issued his own tokens. This is one from his series of ‘London and Westminster Pennies', 33 tokens that featured 32 well known London buildings - mainly Guild-halls, Hospitals and Palaces. He issued them in quite small numbers - plus the dies that James engraved were quite brittle and many broke before the required number was struck. It is possible that he made this series of pennies for the London coin dealer Matthew Denton. The coins were primarily sold to collectors but in these times of desperate need for copper change they often got into circulation alongside the regal copper and other genuine tradesmen's tokens.
Atkins: Middlesex 125