For some time, I have wanted to acquire an example of this Barbados Penny token. Although somewhat common they are normally found well circulated at best. The one is graded NGC XF 40 BN. Many of these are damaged so I am happy with the condition of this piece. I have heard some refer to these as Anti-Slavery tokens but through my research, I have been unable to find any reason to believe that these were ever intended for this purpose. Since I collect Conder Tokens as well it is interesting to consider that many of those were most likely made by some by the same people that manufactured this series. The history below is part of a text found at https://coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/Barbados.intro.html Barbados was settled by the English in 1627. The colonists initially tried to plant tobacco and cotton, but were unsuccessful. However, with assistance from the Dutch, they soon developed lucrative sugar plantations, necessitating the importation of large numbers of African slave laborers. It has been estimated that in 1684 the number of black slaves approached 46,000, more than double the population of English colonists, who numbered around 20,000. As on the other West Indies islands, barter was the mainstay of commerce, supplemented with Spanish gold and silver. Following Queen Anne's Proclamation of 1704, lowering the purchasing power of silver coinage throughout the New World, most silver coins left the island. As a result, in 1705 £7,000 in paper bills of credit were issued for local circulation. In 1788, at about the same time as some of the newly formed American states were coining coppers, a penny size copper, was minted in England for Barbados. The token is thought to have been privately commissioned by Phillip Gibbs, a local plantation owner. The obverse depicts the national symbol, a pineapple, with the legend "Barbadoes Penny" and the date 1788. The reverse displays a bust of an African wearing a plumed crown and the legend "I serve". This coin comes in two basic types, one with a small pineapple and small head and the other with a larger pineapple and larger head. Within these categories there are variants based on gradations in the size of the pineapple and the amount of spacing between the numbers in the date. These dies were engraved by John Milton, who in 1789 became assistant engraver at the Royal Mint. Milton records that an issue was struck starting October 4, 1788. Pridmore lists two varieties (10 and 12) which were proofs made for sale to collectors and two varieties produced for circulation (11 and 13). There is another variety which Pridmore attributes to a second issue, possibly produced by J. G. Hancock in Birmingham (Pridmore no. 14). It appears several of the dies eventually ended up with Milton's friend, the London coin dealer Matthew Young. Some overstrikes on British trade tokens and fantasy restrikes in copper and silver, including a variety dated 1791, are attributed to Young. In 1792, Phillip Gibbs again commissioned copper halfcents and cents to be produced by Milton in England. On the obverse, both denominations depict a crowned Neptune riding a chariot over the sea with the identifying legend "Barbadoes halfpenny" or "Barbadoes penny" above and the date 1792 below. Some identify the figure as George III dressed as Neptune. The reverse is the same as on the 1788 copper penny. These coins regularly circulated but were private token issues without legal tender status. Obverse: Neptune in chariot Obverse Legend: BARBADOES • PENNY Reverse: Crowned head left Reverse Legend: I • SERVE Composition: Copper
I love this type (if you overlook its incompatibility with modern political correctness), and I'd say you got an appealing example with really nice surfaces. It seems all the ones I've seen out there are either really rough, or Mint State and too expensive. Looks like you found that happy middle ground.
