AMERICAN PLANTATIONS TOKEN
Notes:
These have been called 1/24 Part Reals (Breen), 1/24 Reals (Akers), and Farthings
(Akers and Ira &
Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles)
The following history is
courtesy of Ira
& Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.:
The Plantation Token came
about because of the tin price collapse in England during the period of
1679-80 (Breen). Although tin had been discovered and used since
antiquity, being useful in making bronze, the idea of using tin for
coinage had not been employed. This is because of the fact that tin
turns into dust when exposed to extreme cold almost instantly, more
slowly at normal temperatures, with evidence of tin pesting a by product
of time and exposure to the elements. Nevertheless, the tin mine owners
of Cornwall and Devonshire had a crisis, their tin mines were virtually
worthless, and something had to be done with all that tin. What better
solution than convincing the royal authorities under James II to coin
the tin into money? Now the tin miners would have a steady source to
sell their tin production to at higher prices than ever. Thus the Tower
Mint began producing tin farthings and half pence for British domestic
circulation from 1684-92. King James II's secretary Henry Guy then
hatched the idea of making tin coins for the American Plantations, as
the Colonies were known at that time, unless the Tower Mint had any
objections. Apparently no objections were voiced, and soon the Tower
Mint was coining these 1/24th Real coins for export. Literally within a
few weeks of these being struck., James II was ousted during the
"Glorious Revolution" which interrupted coinage. Analysis
shows these coins to be 97.5% pure tin, which accounts for the always
rough surfaces seen today. A London coin dealer named Matthew Young
obtained two pairs of dies from these and restruck several in tin around
1828, these restrikes display a die crack in the right obverse field,
and are nearly as rare as the originals..."
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Images courtesy of Early American History
Auctions, Inc.
Varieties:
c. 1688 1/24 Part Real in Tin
c. 1688 1/24 Part Real in Tin - "ET. HB. REX" on obverse
c. 1688 1/24 Part Real in Tin - Sideways 4 in "24" on reverse
c. 1688 1/24 Part Real in Tin - Arms transposed on reverse
c. 1828 Restrike in Tin
Significant
examples:
See individual varieties Recent appearances:
See individual varieties
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