A Kettle Token is a fairly scarce and privately issued British token. Usually dated 1803 and created by the Kettle family. They were die-sinkers, like Thomas Kettle and Dons of Birmingham, England. They were intended as patterns used in gaming. There are imitation gold coins, like quarter eagles, with designs often looking like U.S. coinage but having unique details. This makes them highly sought after as collectible exonumina. There are other dates but 1803 is the most widely known. They are white metal or brass. The design features elements that resemble U.S. coins but they have distinct differences which make them collectible. Kettle Tokens are highly sought after by exonumia collectors. As a gaming token there are varieties that were issued for general commerce or specific uses. Basically, a Kettle Token is a piece of numismatic history, a private issue from early 19th-century England that bridges the gap between coinage and tokens. Here is one I acquired in 2024. Mine has a 30-35% reverse rotation. Notice there are 13 stars and 13 stripes on the shield to represent the colonies.
Great write up, happy you brought up this token, I actually have two but the other one is missing right now. The Kettle signature is to the right of the date, barely visible but it's there, sellers pics from years ago!
