Cromford 4/9 countermark Dollar

19^th Century token issue, England, Cromford, Derbyshire, value of Four Shillings and Ninepence countermark on 1803 FT Mexico City Mint, Mexico, Eight Reales of King Charles IV of Spain, 4/9 at centre, legend surrounding, CROMFORD. DERBYSHIRE. Weight 26.73g (Manville 104 this coin listed; Brunk 51150). A well struck well centred countermark, about extremely fine, host coin toned, very fine, better than usually seen, very rare.

These countermarked Spanish coins were first issued by the inventor and improver of weaving machinery Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-92) after perhaps seeing similar pieces circulating in Scotland when on his travels. It is likely these pieces were issued by his son Richard junior from circa 1790 to 1810, in which the date of this host coin falls. There are just over sixty surviving coins of this denomination for Cromford of which this is no doubt one of the better survivors.

Provenance:

Ex Rev. W L Gantz Collection, Glendining, 23rd June 1941, lot 1761 part.

Ex Capt. H E G Paget, Glendining, 28^th June 1944, lot 37, obverse illustrated.

Ex B A Seaby, Coin and Medal Bulletin, No. 342, July 1946, item 3070.

Ex A W Foster, Glendining, 24th November 1954, lot 259.

Ex Kelly J Daytona, 22nd August 1956, lot 2368.

Ex Douglas Weaver Rare Coin Company, Texas, 2nd September 1972, item 343, obverse illustrated.

Ex Peter Broeker Collection, part I, Almanazars, San Antonio, Texas, 22^nd September 1978, lot 2172, obverse illustrated.

Ex Marian A Sinton, Triton III, Classical Numismatic Group, 30th November 1999, lot 1642 illustrated.
Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, April 2000, lot 1638 illustrated.

This coin illustrated in "Coinage and Currency in Eighteenth Century Britain, The Provincial Coinage" by David W Dykes, page 128, number 109.