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1/2 Penny Middlesex - Lackington's
| Issuer | J. Lackington & Co. |
|---|---|
| Year | 1794 |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of James Lackington facing slightly to the left, depicted in late 18th-century attire with a ruffled cravat and powdered wig, rendered in high relief with fine portraiture detail characteristic of Peter Wyon's engraving. The legend J. LACKINGTON. arcs along the upper periphery in bold Roman capitals, while the date 1794 appears in the lower exergue. A beaded border frames the entire design. The portrait captures a strong naturalistic likeness consistent with the civic Conder token tradition of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | J. LACKINGTON / 1794 |
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| Additional information |
James Lackington built his Temple of the Muses in Finsbury Square into what he credibly claimed was the largest bookshop in the world, and he used tokens like this one as both currency and advertisement. The late 18th-century copper token boom was driven by a catastrophic shortage of regal small change — the Royal Mint had struck virtually no copper coinage for decades, leaving merchants to fill the gap themselves.
Lackington was an unusually aggressive self-promoter even by the standards of the trade, and his tokens circulated well beyond London through the book trade networks that supplied his mail-order business — an early form of branded commercial paper.