Going Postal?

**Catbert** · 12-18-2008, 02:17 AM

Certainly, this proprietor did back in c1794. That is, Christopher Ibberson ran a postal service to all of England out of his tavern and boarding house, the George and Blue Boar inn located in Holborn, London (West End). I have an advertising half penny token that I have bought that I want to share with you!

Old courthouse records show that the George & Blue Boar was well known locally. In September 1796, Charles Scoldwell stood trial for the theft of two tame ducks, valued at 3 shillings. During cross-examination, the driver of the stage coach from Bedford, who had brought Scoldwell to London, was asked: Is there a more public inn in Holborn, or more coaches go from any inn, except the George and Blue-Boar? to which he replied 'I don’t believe so.' In any event Scoldwell got more transportation than he had bargained for.

This is a bronzed proof copper token made by Matthew Boulton who aspired to obtain business from the Royal Mint. Boulton was a perfectionist and invested heavily in steam powered manufacturing of tokens. Ibberson had ordered half a ton of tokens in December of 1794, or about 32,000 pieces. However, the order was halted in February of 1795 so the actual number made is in question, especially a bronzed proof version like mine.

Many token manufacturers made this sort of proof, to more or less coat the flans pre-striking with a brilliant bronzed shell, which fused with the internal copper when struck. Bronzing (resulting in the dark chocolate color - very popular then) is far more resistant to spotting, accounting for the coiner's intension to preserve original beauty in the fairly wet UK climate.

The seller's pictures do not do justice to the token’s strong mirror surfaces and gleam in hand (I tried to capture the mirror finish in my pic that follows the seller's):

The obverse shows St. George fighting a dragon on the ground with a fat boar crest above. The "J" in Ibberson's is old script for upper-case "I," with which it is interchangeable. I am not sure where or when that originated, but it is a frequent style in many old books and writings, and from many countries.

The reverse inscription is encircled by laurel branches. The token’s edge is inscribed “Payable at the George & Blue Boar London”.

I am really enjoying collecting these old British tokens. Do you like this one?

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