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1/2 Penny Dublin - Cornwell's
| Issuer | Ireland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1795 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 1.87 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ALEXr. CORNWELL. |
| Reverse description | A heraldic shield bearing an inscription, surmounted by the Prince of Wales's crest (ostrich feathers and coronet), centrally positioned in the field. The date 1795 is split across the lower field with the numerals 17 and 95 appearing on either side of the shield, flanked by decorative sprigs. The legend FOR TRADE appears around the design, affirming the token's mercantile purpose. |
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| Additional information |
Cornwell's halfpenny is one of dozens of Irish provincial tokens struck in the 1790s to fill a chronic shortage of regal copper that the British government had largely neglected to address. The Royal Mint had not produced halfpennies for general circulation since 1775, leaving merchants across Ireland and Britain to commission their own pieces from private diesinkers — a practice tolerated, then briefly suppressed, then tolerated again before Boulton's Soho Mint finally began remedying the shortage with the 1797 cartwheel coinage.
Dalton and Hamer's reference number 307 places this squarely within the documented Dublin merchant token sequence.