Lichfield District Council
Provincial Token - Twopence - Lemmonsly Mill - by John Henrickson of Lichfield, late 18th - early 19th Century (40mm dia)
Location: Lichfield District Council
Accession No: 1983.35.10
Imagine if your boss started minting their own money. Now imagine if they started paying you with it. Now imagine if only certain shops accepted that money, whilst it was worthless everywhere else.
This sounds ludicrous, even criminal to us. But this was exactly the situation that many 19th century factory workers found themselves in.
This copper twopence coin is an example of this unofficial money. It is known as a provincial token and was produced by John Henrickson, the owner of Lemmonsly Mill, near Lichfield in the late 18th to early 19th century.
Provincial tokens were coins minted by private individuals during the late 18th century in response to a chronic lack of small denomination coins in Britain. This shortage was caused by the effective ceasing of penny production by the Royal Mint in the 1660s.
Facing a shortage of low denomination coins with which to pay their workers, mill owners such as Henrickson produced these provincial tokens. The workers could then use these tokens in lieu of official coinage with local merchants and traders. These traders could then return the tokens to Henrickson in exchange for larger denomination, official currency. In this case, 120 of these tokens could be exchanged with Henrickson for one pound.
The obverse of the coin features an image of Lemmonsly cotton mill. In exergue beneath the image is the value: "TWO-PENNY TOKEN". Surrounding the image is the legend: "JOHN HENRICKSON LEMMONSLY MILL NEAR LITCHFIELD".
The reverse of the coin features a shield bearing the coat of arms of the City of Lichfield, consisting of three decapitated soldiers lying before Lichfield Cathedral. A lion's head is located at the base of the shield, whilst two floral branches border the shield. Around the edge of the reverse is the legend: "ONE POUND NOTE FOR 120 TOKENS".
Provincial Token - Twopence - Lemmonsly Mill - by John Henrickson of Lichfield, late 18th - early 19th Century (40mm dia)
Location: Lichfield District Council
Accession No: 1983.35.10
Imagine if your boss started minting their own money. Now imagine if they started paying you with it. Now imagine if only certain shops accepted that money, whilst it was worthless everywhere else.
This sounds ludicrous, even criminal to us. But this was exactly the situation that many 19th century factory workers found themselves in.
This copper twopence coin is an example of this unofficial money. It is known as a provincial token and was produced by John Henrickson, the owner of Lemmonsly Mill, near Lichfield in the late 18th to early 19th century.
Provincial tokens were coins minted by private individuals during the late 18th century in response to a chronic lack of small denomination coins in Britain. This shortage was caused by the effective ceasing of penny production by the Royal Mint in the 1660s.
Facing a shortage of low denomination coins with which to pay their workers, mill owners such as Henrickson produced these provincial tokens. The workers could then use these tokens in lieu of official coinage with local merchants and traders. These traders could then return the tokens to Henrickson in exchange for larger denomination, official currency. In this case, 120 of these tokens could be exchanged with Henrickson for one pound.
The obverse of the coin features an image of Lemmonsly cotton mill. In exergue beneath the image is the value: "TWO-PENNY TOKEN". Surrounding the image is the legend: "JOHN HENRICKSON LEMMONSLY MILL NEAR LITCHFIELD".
The reverse of the coin features a shield bearing the coat of arms of the City of Lichfield, consisting of three decapitated soldiers lying before Lichfield Cathedral. A lion's head is located at the base of the shield, whilst two floral branches border the shield. Around the edge of the reverse is the legend: "ONE POUND NOTE FOR 120 TOKENS".