A
Anonymous
Guest
someone sent me this - looks like it is a hand-made token. Probably very rare!
Ocean . . . I sent an e-mail (hope you don't mind) with the pic of your token to an expert in the history of clay pipes in England and this is what she had to say about your find . . . "I have personally never seen one of these before but I think I know what it is...
My own observations are that the pipe icons appear to have been stamped into the metal token individually since they are not quite aligned in perfect symmetry and therefore the item was not meant for artistic delight. The style of pipe certainly looks English of about the period 1690-1740 which fits right in with your site, although the icons indicate a forward projecting heel on the pipe which I think this is more artistic licence by the person who made the stamp for creating the image rather than accuracy of the clay pipes used. The pipes certainly look more English to me than say Dutch pipes of that period.
In mid-17th century England there was a serious shortage of small change. To ease the problem, the government allowed shopkeepers and other tradesmen to issue their own tokens, which could be redeemed only in their shops. Thousands of traders all over England issued such tokens; more than 100 were circulated in the city of Exeter where I live which was a major city over here at that time.
It's quite possible that this item is an English trade token for clay pipes.
I assume there is nothing on the other side of it???
Among the number of major exporters to the USA from England were the cities of Bristol, London, Portsmouth and Exeter so it could originate from here or have been made over there by settled traders in a similar situation. " jc
<img src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11054/B475.jpg">
Ocean . . . I sent an e-mail (hope you don't mind) with the pic of your token to an expert in the history of clay pipes in England and this is what she had to say about your find . . . "I have personally never seen one of these before but I think I know what it is...
My own observations are that the pipe icons appear to have been stamped into the metal token individually since they are not quite aligned in perfect symmetry and therefore the item was not meant for artistic delight. The style of pipe certainly looks English of about the period 1690-1740 which fits right in with your site, although the icons indicate a forward projecting heel on the pipe which I think this is more artistic licence by the person who made the stamp for creating the image rather than accuracy of the clay pipes used. The pipes certainly look more English to me than say Dutch pipes of that period.
In mid-17th century England there was a serious shortage of small change. To ease the problem, the government allowed shopkeepers and other tradesmen to issue their own tokens, which could be redeemed only in their shops. Thousands of traders all over England issued such tokens; more than 100 were circulated in the city of Exeter where I live which was a major city over here at that time.
It's quite possible that this item is an English trade token for clay pipes.
I assume there is nothing on the other side of it???
Among the number of major exporters to the USA from England were the cities of Bristol, London, Portsmouth and Exeter so it could originate from here or have been made over there by settled traders in a similar situation. " jc
<img src="http://www.findmall.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11054/B475.jpg">