Discover a captivating piece of 17th-century monetary history with this 15-piece collection of British trade tokens and European jetons.
During the Stuart era, a severe shortage of official minor royal coinage led local merchants and municipalities to strike their own "trade tokens" to keep daily commerce alive. This historic lot offers an excellent cross-section of the unofficial currency that fueled 1600s markets.
Collection Highlights:
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Featured Piece: An authentic 17th-Century Norwich Town Farthing (dated between 1667–1670). It features the distinct four-line inscription "A NORWICH FARTHING" on the obverse and the Norwich city coat of arms (castle over a lion) on the reverse.
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Nuremberg Rechenpfennigs: Several German accounting jetons featuring the iconic rose-and-orb or municipal shield designs, commonly used in Britain for calculations.
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Stuart-Era Exonumia: A varied assortment of localized English farthing tokens, trade pieces, and early jetons showing a range of unique merchant symbols, initials, and historic devices.
Product Specifications:
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Era: 17th Century (1600s)
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Region: Great Britain and Western Europe (Germany/France)
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Denominations/Types: City Farthings, Tradesman Tokens, and Rechenpfennigs (Jetons)
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Material: Copper / Brass / Bronze alloy
- Total Items: 15 historic pieces exactly as pictured
These pieces are in authentic, uncleaned, metal-detected condition, displaying a beautiful natural patina ranging from rich chocolate brown to malachite green. Some tokens show expected historical wear, clipped edges, or piercing (historically done to string tokens together). Please review the high-resolution photos carefully to judge grades, legends, and varieties for yourself.
Please email me with questions.
