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1/2 Penny Middlesex - Freemasons
| Issuer | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Year | 1794 |
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| Engraver(s) | James Sketchley |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays a heraldic achievement in the form of a quartered shield supported by two rampant figures, flanking a central orb or globe, surmounted by a bird crest atop a helm. The composition closely follows the armorial bearings of the Grand Lodge of England. A ribbon scroll beneath the shield bears the motto. The circular legend reads '24 NOV. 1790 PRINCE OF WALES ELECTED GM.' commemorating the election of the Prince of Wales as Grand Master, with the Masonic Latin motto 'AMOR HONOR ET JUSTITIA' completing the border inscription. |
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| Reverse script | Latin/English |
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| Additional information |
This is one of hundreds of provincial halfpenny tokens struck during the 1787–1797 "token age," when chronic Royal Mint neglect left Britain's copper coinage so debased and counterfeited that merchants, manufacturers, and tradesmen began issuing their own. The Freemasons series from Middlesex was produced commercially — not by any lodge — to satisfy collector demand, a practice openly acknowledged at the time. These "evasion" and speculative pieces circulated alongside genuine trade tokens but were never tied to a specific issuing merchant.
Draper's DH#372 is among the better-documented varieties in the Middlesex sequence.