Sheffield Younge Wilson and Younge 1812 gold Half-Guinea PR62 CAM

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 (Davis 37; Dalton 84). Brilliant, with cameo contrast between design and fields, some light hairlines, has been graded and slabbed by PCGS as PR62 CAMEO, very rare indeed especially graded as proof at this level.

PCGS Certification 546635.62/38266748.

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 Baldwin of St James, Auction 34, 21^st June 2019, lot 2054.

Ex Heritage, signature sale 3085, 5^th August 2020, lot 30184.