u/exonumismaniac

Seldom seen today, this undated shilling was one of about thirty types/varieties issued in Dorsetshire during the Regency Period, when the Crown failed to provide enough "small change" for everyday commerce. It was backed by the Dorchester Bank, a partnership formed by Robert Pattison, the city's mayor at the time, with backing from Robert Cox and William Merle, London-based goldsmiths.

On the reverse we see St. Dunstan with Satan's face hovering behind him and smithy's tongs in his left hand. The backstory is that the Devil visited Dunstan one day while he was making a gold chalice at his abbey's forge. Dunstan reputedly grabbed Satan by the nose with his red-hot tongs and dragged him kicking and screaming out of the monastery.

St. Dunstan (909-988 a.d.) topped out his career as Archbishop of Canterbury and was canonized in 1629. He is now honored in the Catholic and Anglican tradition as the patron saint of blacksmiths; goldsmiths; locksmiths; musicians; silversmiths; bellringers; Charlottetown (capital of Canada's Prince Edward Island); and Stepney, UK.

Other Dorset-related tokens of that era originated in Blandford, Poole, and Shaftesbury.

This copper halfpenny token from Benhall in Suffolk, Britain, was struck for the local gentleman farmer John Shuckford Wade, probably for use in paying his employees. Why he used his birth year on the token, which was issued in 1811, remains a mystery to the handful of exonumismatists who have even a glimmer of concern or curiosity about such trivia more than two centuries later.

^(Withers 28, 28mm, 9.6g, RRR.)

The coat of arms on this piece has nothing to do with Devonshire, but is instead an allegorical confection dreamed up by the token's producer, Henry Morgan, whose initials appear below the artwork. Morgan may or may not have been contracted or permitted by the county to circulate this particular "necessity coinage."

In 1813, a settlement known as "Klaarwater" in Griqualand West near Kimberley, the epicenter of the South African diamond mining industry, organized itself as Griqua Town under the auspices of the London Missionary Society, which planned to establish a state of baptized Christians of mixed tribal ancestry. The entire region came under the control of Great Britain in 1871 and was absorbed into the Cape Colony in 1880.

In 1890 a German mint, Otto Nolte & Co., struck this one-penny token in Berlin with dies prepared by the noted Lauer firm of Nuremburg, producing about 100 "patterns" or salesmen's samples to promote their minting services in Africa. The dove of peace was the emblem of the London Missionary Society,

These pieces saw very little circulation, so when they turn up now they're often in excellent condition. Back in 1993, I considered myself phenomenally fortunate to be able to acquire this proof specimen from the late Phil Flanagan of Seattle.

^(KM-X8, South Africa.)

This two-shilling piece was issued in 1812 by Richard and Charles Willoughby, who operated a prosperous wine and groceries firm serving the market town of Frome and the adjacent parish of Selwood, both located in Somerset, Britain.

^(Dalton 70, Rare.)

Issued in 1811 by George Preston and Charles Rudston, prominent local merchants who operated a wholesale business and several retail shops in Hull that specialized in clothing, hats, and textiles.

Issued by Frederick Reynolds, a local brewer and merchant who was also serving as Yarmouth's elected Mayor in 1811, when this token was struck.

The issuer of this token, the Douglas Bank, was in business for exactly five weeks at the end of 1811, which certainly contributes to the relative scarcity of their copper and silver tokens, most of which were redeemed and melted down immediately upon the breakup of the bank's partnership.

Here's my British one-penny token, dated 1812, from Roscoe Place, Sheffield, Yorkshire. The issuer was Shaw, Jobson, & Co., whose many factories are shown behind the wall on the obverse. Among their products were candlesticks, tools, fenders, fireplace (and maybe blacksmith's) irons, stove grates, etc.

^(Now known as Withers 1047.)

Featuring the local courthouse, this token was Issued by Thomas and William Read, whose general stores offered clothing, groceries, wine and spirits, etc.

^(Dalton 4, scarce, AU.)

Featuring a "fiery cockerel" as their logo, my mildly beat-up 1811 silver shilling token was issued by David Morris & Sons, a family bank that served Carmarthen for 80 years starting in 1791.

From 1969, my large Investiture medal marking the day young Chuck became Charles, Prince of Wales. A Royal Mint product in nicely toned and thumbprinted silver.

^((Eimer 2116, 57.5mm, 98g.))

My 1811 silver shilling token from Hampshire in Great Britain was struck for Newport, which is the largest town on the Isle of Wight. The Isle itself has been independent, with its own county council, since 1890, and every summer for the last 55 years has hosted one of the world's most humongous, boisterous, and star-studded rock festivals.

Featuring an "ancient ship" drawn faithfully from the town's thirteenth-century seal, this token also bears the wonderful legend, "May Plenty Crown Our Happy Isle." No records survive to tell us who issued this piece and its companion -- but not quite matching -- sixpence.

^((Dalton 25, Davis 22.))

That trapeze tailpiece is throwing me off.

Image by maggie.rainwater, taken at the Newport Folk Festival last week.

^(Charlton NS-24A, Withers 2030, EF for type).

Found among the personal effects of a deceased relative who was thankfully not a collector...he *accumulated* coins. His hundreds and hundreds of silver coins fared a lot better in their coffee cans and -- believe it or not -- empty deodorant tubes.

For the record, here are Top 10 Chemicals Used in tanning leathers:

1. Chromium Sulfate
2. Sodium Sulfide
3. Formic Acid
4. Ammonium Sulfate
5. Sodium Bicarbonate
6. Oxalic Acid
7. Sodium Formate
8. Ammonium Chloride
9. Enzymes
10. Sodium Carbonate

Source

^(Mintage 6.6 million, ESC 3043, S3906A, KM734.2.)

This is the image I ran on eBay when I sold it out of my collection about 15 years ago. (Lots of bidders, as I recall, as only 300 of these 45s were issued.)

There's a good update on the front man, Ernie Simiele, here on YouTube, with his photo and the audio, of course, posted by Bob Pegg.

Have you seen this poster before?

I've had this 24" x 31" poster since it was new 50 years ago and kept it flat on foamcore (unmounted) and wrapped in Mylar film for all those years.

Apologies for the quality of the image...the colors are really more vivid than shown here. the poster has spent the last 25 years high up in an enclosed stairway, way out of reach and away from natural light, and impervious to my best photographic efforts on my iPhone.

I'd be interested in consigning this to an auction house that specializes in Western movie memorabilia of this sort, if such a place even exists. Any recommendations? TIA!