Latest Group of Conder Tokens with some Interesting Stories.....

Here is the latest group of Conder tokens I recently picked up and had Todd photograph. Many of them have very interesting and funny stories behind the design on the token. Here are some of them....

This first Conder token shows a pig trampling on a crown, mitre, and coat of Arms with speech on a label coming from the pig's mouth saying "Pig's Meat Published by T. Spence London." "Pig's Meat" was the title of Spence's weekly periodical from 1793 to 1795. The pig token represents the swinish multitude trampling upon ecclesiastical, royal, and aristocratic emblems for which he had no respect.



This next one shows the pig trampling on a crown, sceptre, and crosier with an irradiated Cap of Liberty on his back and represents the people of England trampling on the State, Monarchy, and the Church.



The donkey on this Conder represents the patient and willing British public being loaded first with rents and then with the bigger insult of taxes (which were first levied in 1799 shortly after the striking of this die). The sight of overladen donkeys was a common sight in Spence's day and would have made an impact on the viewer.



This next Conder is pretty scarce and is one I've shown before, but I think it has one of the most interesting stories. It shows a repulsive monster with a human head, wings, and a forked tail flying and carrying a flag displaying a royal crown on an ermine field with a Cap of Liberty on the staff. Three of her brood suckle while a fourth flies ahead carrying a sword in one hand and a lighted toch in the other. One of the feeding young holds a label inscribed "Faction." On the reverse is a snake among long grass in under long rays of the sun and the legend says "Nourished to Torment" with a date of July 14, 1791.

On July 14, 1791, a party of gentlemen assembled at the Royal Hotel in Birmingham to celebrate the second anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in Paris. A mob encouraged by supporters of the government used this event to begin a series of riots which lasted for three days and was eventually quelled by the militia. Many of the rioters lost their lives.



J. Pidcock was the proprietor of the Exeter 'Change Menagerie and importer of foreign animals. The business later passed to Gilbert Pidcock, and the tickets issued by both men were trade tickets advertising the menagerie and passed for small change in circulation. The two-headed heifer was a live exhibit and an advertisement referring to it appeared in the 29th January 1791 edition of the London Chronicle: "Now exhibiting at the Lyceum Strand. The surprising Heifer with two heads. This very remarkable creature has two Heads, Four Horns, Four Ears, Four Nostrils, through each of which it breathes. This truly wonderful Curiosity is the only one of the kind in Europe; and what is more astonishing, it takes its Sustenance with both mouths at the same time, to the admiration of the Faculty, and the Beholders in general; and it also the received opinion of John Hunter, Esq., Professor of Anatomy, that it has two hearts. One of the Heads, together with the Horns, represents that of a bull, and the other a Cow. The height of the animal is thirteen hands, and each Horn measures twenty-five inches long. Admittance One Shilling. N.B.- Most money given for all sorts of foreign Beasts and Birds, if alive, by G. Pidcock. A capital collection of Wild Beasts, with waggon, horses, &c, to be sold. Enquire as above".


The story of Southampton’s Sir Bevois is that he was the son of Sir Guy, Earl of Hampton. His mother was the daughter of the King of Scotland whom Sir Guy had married in his declining years. She arranges for the murder of her husband by her lover – who she later marries – and the sale of her own son into slavery. (Strains of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’) According to one version of the romance; as a child Bevois was strong in will as well as arm. The “History of Hampshire Div 6” says that when he was 7 years old he was supposed to “have knocked down the palace porter and then cudgeled his own stepfather almost to death”. The merchants who bought Bevois eventually gave or sold him to Ermyn, King of Armenia, and it is whilst under his patronage that most of the stories of his exploits occur. Bevois had a magic sword called Mortglay, and an equally magical horse called Hirondelle. (The Swallow) As a result of one of his adventures he also acquired the services of a page and squire, the treacherous giant Ascupart. Bevois fought with the giant Ascapart on the sea-shore near the town, and Ascapart struck at him with his club, but missing his blow, the club stuck fast in the mud, and that while he was pulling to get it out, Bevois despatched him with his sword.


Here are a few more new Conders, but I don't yet have their stories



This one depicts a coining press.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Now those are some great looking beasts!
Thanks for sharing.

 

Very nice tokens, I'm not sure thats a donkey though

 

Great post!! Thank for the info!!

 

You see, this is a much better batch than last time, Charmy!
I really, and I mean really, love the 1791 MS64BN PL, that one is just great.
I also like the reverse of the 1st one you posted with the pig and I like the reverse of the 1795 MS65 BN, very interesting that one is.
I bet the stories on the last 5 will be just as interesting!
Great thread and Todd did some beautiful work!

 

Don't know why but the first 2 did not appear for me. I am sure they are just as nice as the rest. Nice batch of tokens.

 

Same with me, I refreshed the page twice and got them both to show up.

 

I especially like the coin and medal dealer piece's... VERY COOL!

Imagine some of the stuff in his inventory in 1795-96... wowzer...

 

Where would I find more information on these? They look really interesting.
Are they for sale?

Joseph

 

Joseph, sorry, these aren't for sale, they are in my personal collection. And I agree they are very interesting, that's why I like them so much. Here's a place to learn more about them. http://conderclub.homestead.com/index.html

 

Thanks,

Do you know of any books that I could get on these? Also do you ever go to any shows on the east cost?

 

I do several shows on the east coast, Baltimore, CoinFest, FUN (just check my website for my show schedule).

There are several books on Conder tokens (Bristish 18th Century Provincial Tokens). Here's a great digital book: http://www.condertokenbook.com/

This is the "bible" of Conder tokens but not necessarily for the beginner: http://www.amazon.com/provincial-token-coinage-18th-century/dp/0880001070

 

Both of those are the same book. The first is a recent digital format version of the second. The layout is good, but the actual variety description text is the same and the images are taken directly from the book. (A shortcoming in my opinion as much better images are available today of most of the tokens.) The digital version has incorporated the addendum pieces into the text of the book where they belong, but for some reason it does not include all of the new discoveries that have been made since the original 1910-15 book came out. These new discoveries ARE listed in the 1990, 1996, and 2004 reprints of the book.) I have't checked but I suspect tha some of the other errors in the original book have not been corrected either. One thing that has been improved is the rarities have been updated, although that has not resulted in a lot of changes. Dalton and Hamer did a very good job estimating the rarities.

If you want a printed copy of the book though you should probably get it soon. The book is out of print, not easy to find, and the person who has done the reprinting in the past is not going to make any further reprints.

The only other real books that cover the series in any depth are the books by R C Bell. This is a series of I believe five books that divides the series up into different groups, commercial coins, private tokens, medal pieces and a couple of others. These books are also becoming hard to get and will cost $100 to $125 each.

Another book I would recommend doesn't really deal with the specifics of the tokens but examines the economy around and the forces that lead to the creation of private coinage in England during the 1650 to 1820 period. Good Money by George Selgin. Written by an economist but it is NOT dry reading. Very interesting and entertaining.

Another book I highly recommend deals with the man who created many of the tokens and whose application of steam power to coinage and the mint that made it possible is The Soho Mint and the Industrialization of Money by Richard Doty.

 

The PL is FANTASTIC!!!!