Yorkshire, Sheffield, Younge, Wilson & Younge, 1812 gold Half-Guinea Token

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 3.16g (Davis 37; Dalton 84). Lightly toned, almost extremely fine and very rare, one of only three types of 19^th Century gold tokens issued.

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 early 19th Century - the vast majority 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 Noble Numismatics, Australia, sale 111, 5th April 2016, lot 1825.