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1/2 Penny Lancashire - Lancaster / John of Gaunt
| Issuer | Borough of Lancaster |
|---|---|
| Year | 1794 |
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| Engraver(s) | John Gregory Hancock |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing draped bust of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, wearing robes and a ducal coronet, rendered in high relief in the style typical of late 18th-century English token engraving. The effigy is set within a raised toothed border with the encircling legend reading IOHN OF GAUNT DUKE OF LANCASTER, punctuated by a six-pointed star below the bust. The portrait is attributed to the work of engraver John Gregory Hancock. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | IOHN OF GAUNT DUKE OF LANCASTER· * |
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| Additional information |
Lancaster's 1794 halfpenny token was issued during the great copper token boom that swept Britain's industrial towns after the Royal Mint's near-total failure to supply adequate small change. The Borough had essentially no choice — wages could not be paid and small transactions ground to a halt without privately issued substitutes. Dalton & Hamer catalogued this piece as DH#41, placing it within the well-documented Lancaster civic series.
John of Gaunt's connection to Lancaster is constitutional rather than decorative: as Duke of Lancaster, his line's inheritance formed the legal basis of the Duchy that still technically holds the county palatine today.