I was in Florida last week for the FUN show, and I picked up a few new coins/tokens. All are copper pieces, including 2 Conders and a nice Victorian 1/2D. It was a great show, with lots of eye-candy. -Brandon
Looks like Florida treated you well Brandon. Super pick ups! I especially like the Coventry Halfpenny. Bruce
Now that's special Brandon. A Lovett store card. I guess his one is pre Civil War so not a CWT per se. I see that it's listed in Rulau but I'm not familiar with it. Congrats. Bruce
Whilst I love the Coventry coin....that has to be the saddest looking elephant in the world!! sniff sniff.....poor little mite. Elephant and castle...... info - wiki The name "Elephant and Castle" is derived from a coaching inn. The earliest surviving record of this name relating to the area is in the Court Leet Book of the Manor of Walworth, which met at "Elephant and Castle, Newington" on 21 March 1765. Previously the site was occupied by a blacksmith and cutler – the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers features an elephant with a castle (possibly meant to be a howdah) on its back, which in turn was used because of the use of elephant ivory in handles. Shakespeare mentions the Elephant Lodgings in "Twelfth Night". In Act 3 Scene 3 Antonio says "In the south suburbs, at the Elephant, is best to lodge." Although the play is set in Illyria in the Balkans, Shakespeare often used local London references. The theatres were all in Southwark, so it may be this is an advert for a local hostelry. also... The Elephant and Castle Mob was one of the many independent street gangs active in London's underworld during the interwar years. A rival of mobster Charles "Darby" Sabini along with the Birmingham Boys and the Cortesi brothers of Saffron Hill,[1]they were eventually forced out by Sabini with the added manpower of imported Sicilian mafiosi and had disappeared from the city the end of the Second World War.[2] The Elephant and Castle gang existed for many years and was particularly active between the two world wars. At that time they were allied to the Birmingham gang, often called the Brummagems, led by Billy Kimber; the Camden Town gang, led by George Sage and the Finsbury Boys, led by Freddie Gilbert. The gangs rivalled those from north and east London led by Darby Sabini, Alf White, Alf Solomon and Dodger Mullins. The gang achieved dominance on the race courses and in London's West End by conquering the West End Boys, led by the McCausland brothers, and the King's Cross/Titanic gang led by Alf White. From the 1910s to the 1930s, they were led by the McDonald brothers, Wag and Wal, and battled the Sabini gang for control of allocation of bookmaking pitches on racecourses and the provision of 'services' to bookmakers who were terrorised into paying for them. Wag McDonald left London for Los Angeles, where he became bodyguard to Mafia boss Jack Dragna in the 1920s and to many Hollywood celebrities, including Charlie Chaplin. His life story is told by his nephew Brian McDonald in Elephant Boys - Tales of London and Los Angeles Underworlds, Mainstream 2000. Gangs of London, by Brian McDonald, has much on the Elephant and Castle Gang, including the all-female Forty Elephants.
More than most sane people would. I looked for a nice MS piece for more than 3 years, so when I saw this one the price was sort of irrelevant. I'll PM you. The Coventry/Lady Godiva pieces are particularly popular with non-Conder collectors, and so the prices have gone north over the past 3-5 years.
Thanks brandon, sorry, a little uncouth of me to ask in open Forum. I understand by the way.....Its about how much it means to you isnt it, and sometimes the money doesnt matter......you cant take it with you as my nan used to say. She was right, I have it now! thanks Nan. x
