M A S O N I C T O K E N S O F T H E E I G H T E E N T H C E N T U R Y .

B Y LIEUT.-COLONEL H . W . MORRIESON, F . S . A .

N the last decade of the eighteenth century small change became very scarce, and the country was flooded with innumerable tradesmen's tokens, mostly of the halfpenny size, of which large numbers were struck at Messrs.

Boulton and Watts ' Soho Works at Birmingham. These halfpenny tokens were made use of to commemorate the political feelings of some of the issuers, such as the acquittal of H o m e Tooke, November 24th, 1794, and T . Hardy in the same year ; others represented politicians such as Pitt, or heroes such as Nelson. A series was issued of churches in London and another of Birmingham buildings; in fact, these tokens were a series of local medals. In these circumstances it would be surprising if Freemasonry had escaped being commemorated. A n opportunity occurred on November 24th, 1790, when H . R . H . the Prince of Wales was elected Grand Master. Though this event happened in 1790, the tokens do not appear to have been issued till 1794 ; and others are dated 1795 and 1796. Issues of 1794, all halfpennies : —

I .—Obverse : The Free Masons' arms, supporters and crest, no inner circle ; legend, commencing at the left : PRINCE OF WALES E L E C T E D G.M. x 24 NOV. 1790. T h e bodies of the supporters are ribbed (Pl. No. 1). Atkins, Tokens of the Eighteenth Century, Middlesex, No. 261 ; Pye (Pl. X I , 4). There is a variety on which the supporters are not ribbed, and there is a comma after Nov. Atkins, 264. (Pl. No. 2.)

Reverse : Within a triangle a cupid, or, as it has been suggested, the genius of Masonry, seated on a cloud, the right arm raised with the forefinger pointing upward, and the left resting on a plumb rule ; on the ground a maul and trowel. In the apex of the triangle is an eye, with rays proceeding from it and extending to the cupid's arms ; below the

166 Masonic Tokens of the Eighteenth Century.

eye is the letter G ; in the right-hand corner are the square and com-passes and in the left a book; outside the triangle: WISDOM S T R E N G T H & B E A U T Y . N o inner circle. Legend, commencing on

the left : S IT L V X E T L U X F U I T . Atkins, Tokens of the Eighteenth Century, Middlesex, No. 26. There are two other varieties, differing only as to the composition and length of the rays, and as to punctua-tion. Atkins, 262, 263. (PI. Nos. 3 and 4.)

E d g e : There is a great variety of inscriptions on the edge. Atkins gives the following, which chiefly refer to by whom or where payable : —

1. Plain, not in collar. Atkins, 264h. 2. H A L F P E N N Y P A Y A B L E A T T H E B L A C K H O R S E T O W E R

H I L L • x • Atkins, 261, 262, 264. 3. H A L F P E N N Y P A Y A B L E A T D U B L I N C O R K O R D E R R Y -

Atkins, 264^. 4. M A S O N I C H A L F P E N N Y T O K E N M D C C X C I V . Atkins, 262d. 5. „ „ „ „ x • x Atkins,

263, 264^. x • 6. M A S O N I C T O K E N I S K E T C H L E Y F E C I T 1794 . + . + . + .

Atkins, 261a, 262a, 264a. 7. M A S O N I C T O K E N B R O T H E R S K E T C H L E Y B I R M I N G H A M

F A C I T . Atkins. 263a. 8 M A S O N I C T O K E N J . S K E T C H L E Y R.A. & P.G.S. B I R M I N G -

H A M F E C I T . * Atkins, 264c. 9. P A Y A B L E IN L A N C A S T E R L O N D O N O R B R I S T O L . Atkins,

261 b, 262^, 264^ 10. P A Y A B L E A T L O N D O N . + . + . + . 4- . Atkins, 261c, 262c. 11. P A Y A B L E A T L O N D O N O R D U B L I N . Atkins, 261^. 12. P A Y A B L E A T R I C H A R D L O N G ' S L I B R A R Y . * • Atkins

2 6 4 / 13. P A Y A B L E A T W. P A R K E R S O L D B I R M I N G H A M W A R E -

H O U S E . Atkins, 264g.

From edges 6, 7 and 8 it can be gathered that these tokens were issued at Birmingham by J. Sketchley, who was an auctioneer, printer and publisher in that city. No. 8 gives his Masonic career, as it states that he had taken the Royal Arch degree and had served the office of Grand Steward. T h e obverse of this token is found muled with other obverses, with all of which it forms the reverse.

166 Masonic Tokens of the Eighteenth Century.

II.—Full-faced bust of the Prince of Wales to right; no inner circle; legend, commencing on the left : GEORGE PRINCE OF W A L E S H A L F P E N N Y . (Pl . N o . 5.)

E d g e s : ( 1 ) P A Y A B L E IN L A N C A S T E R L O N D O N O R

B R I S T O L . A t k i n s , not local, 157. (2) P A Y A B L E A T L O N D O N

OR DUBLIN x » x . Atkins, 157a.

III .—Profi le bust of the Prince of Wales to right; no inner circle; legend, commencing on the left: GEORGE PRINCE OF W A L E S . (PL N o . 6.)

E d g e : P A Y A B L E IN L A N C A S T E R L O N D O N O R B R I S T O L .

Atkins, 159; Pye, V I I I , 2.

I V . — T h e arms of the Prince of Wales, with his motto below; no inner circle; legend, commencing on the le f t : LONDON AND M I D D L E S E X . H A L F P E N N Y . (Pl . N o . 7.)

E d g e : P A Y A B L E IN L A N C A S T E R L O N D O N O R B R I S T O L .

Atkins, Middlesex, 747 ; Pye, X X V I , 1. T h e dies for the obverses of Nos. II, III and I V were engraved

by Wigan (Pye, index, p. 2).

Issue of 1795 ; one penny and two halfpenny tokens : —

Penny.—Obverse : the Free Masons' arms ; supporters and crest as on the first-mentioned halfpenny of 1794, no inner circle; legend; * P R O BONO P U B L I C O . * (Pl. N o . 8 . )

Reverse : a cupid and Masonic emblems in a triangle, as on the 1794 halfpenny; no inner circle; legend, commencing on the le f t : M A S O N I C # P E N N Y 1795. (Pl . N o . 9.)

E d g e : M A N U F A C T U R E D B Y W. L U T W Y C H E B I R M I N G -

HAM • x • Atkins, Middlesex, 71.

Halfpennies.—I. Obverse : profile bust of the Duke of York, to the right; no inner circle ; legend, commencing on the left: F R E D K

D U K E O F Y O R K • ; in the e x e r g u e : H A L F P E N N Y 1795. (Pl. N o . 10.)

Reverse: from the same die as the first obverse of 1794. Atkins, 261.

E d g e s : ( 1 ) P A Y A B L E IN D U B L I N O R L O N D O N • + • + • Atkins, not local, 181. (2) Milled. Atkins, 181 a.

166 Masonic Tokens of the Eighteenth Century.

I I .—Obverse : the Free Masons' arms, as on the first obverse of 1794, Atkins, 261, but with square and compass below ; no inner circle ; legend, commencing on the lef t : PRO BONO PUBLICO. (PL No. n . )

Reverse: I. H. B. in script; a pair of scales above and 1795 below; no inner circle ; legend, commencing on the left : E A S T GRINSTEAD H A L F P E N N Y . Pye, X X I X , 5. (PI. No. 12.)

E d g e s : (1) P A Y A B L E A T I + H BOORMAN • x • Atkins, Sussex, 21. (2) P A Y A B L E IN L A N C A S T E R LONDON OR BRISTOL. Atkins, 21 a.

Issue of 1796 : — In this year there is only one token, a halfpenny, Atkins, Middle-

sex, 209, where it is described as follows :—-

" Obverse : a man hanging, P ^ T , a cap of liberty on a pole, a medallion bearing an anchor, HOPE, cross, crown, etc. ; on the ground, LIBERTY • AND • NOT S L A V E R Y •, and a monument inscribed : PEACE 1796. (PI. No. 13.)

" Reverse : A n obelisk and masonic emblems : GOD THE FIRST ARCHITECT. EX : JACOBS. E d g e : Engrailed." Illustrated in Messrs. Dalton and Hamer's Provincial Token Coinage of the Eighteenth Century, Middlesex, p. 127, No. 291.

T h e obverse is clearly not Masonic, as the P ^ T is meant for the Rt. Hon, W . Pitt, who was the Prime Minister that year, but belongs to the political series before referred to, as it was dedicated to the London Correspondence Society.

These tokens generally show that the Free Masons of the time took a great interest in their order, and that they were proud of belonging to it. Doubtless there are other tokens referring to Free Masonry which are not enumerated in this paper.

P I . A T E .

I have to thank Mr. William Hammond, F .S .A. , Librarian of the Grand Lodge Library, Freemasons' Hall, for the loan of Nos. 5 and 9, Mr. Lionel Fletcher for Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10, and Messrs. Spink and Son for Nos. 7 and 11.

N A V A L M E D A L S . P L A T E I .