Sheffield, Younge Wilson and Younge 1812 gold Half-Guinea, AU58, ex Cope

19th Century Token, struck in gold,Yorkshire, Sheffield, Younge, Wilson & Younge, gold Half-Guinea Token, 1812, engraved by Halliday, phoenix dramatically rising from the flames, legend and toothed border surrounding, YOUNGE. WILSONS & YOUNGE. / SHEFFIELD,rev. value 10.6 at centre, S over 10 and D over 6, legend in two concentric arrangements surround, STANDARD GOLD and YORKSHIRE TOKEN 1812, engrailed edge, weight 3.21g (Davis 37; Dalton 84).Toned with some light hairlines, has been graded and slabbed by NGC as AU58, very rare.

NGC Certification 2153881.006

Issued by Younge, Wilsons and Younge, button manufacturers of Sheffield.

This is one of only three gold tokens issued in the 19th Century, whereas the majority of tokens were in copper and silver, they all became a necessity for smaller change at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

Younge, Wilsons & Younge, button manufacturers in Sheffield, would have had access to the machinery needed to strike coins as well as buttons, though it is not understood exactly why they would issue larger value gold tokens. Only three gold tokens were issued in the entire early 19th Century series - the vast majority of token issues were produced more cheaply in copper and silver, when there was a shortage of small change coins in Great Britain during the war against Napoleon.

Provenance:

Ex Geoffrey Cope Collection.