Owner Comments:
Middlesex London and Westminster Series DH #101
Obverse: The front of the Grocers Hall with GROCERS Hall above, Ex: FOUNDED A.D 1411 with the Arms of the Company separating the two words
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
Weight: 24.41g
Rarity: Rare
The Worshipful Company of Grocers are one of the original 12 great Livery Companies. They were founded in 1345 by the merger of the Guild of Pepperers and the Spicers. Their first hall was destroyed in 1666 by the Great Fire of London. The third hall was built on the same site between 1798 and 1802 and subsequently replaced by the fourth hall in 1893. That building was destroyed by fire in 1965 with the fifth hall being built in 1970.
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 132
Bt: Baldwin’s