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1/2 Penny Middlesex - Lackington's
| Issuer | Lackington, Allen & Co. |
|---|---|
| Year | 1795 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | DH#357, Atkins#253 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | HALFPENNY OF LACKINGTON. ALLEN & CO * CHEAPEST BOOKSELLERS IN THE WORLD. |
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| Mintage | 1795 - DH#357 - PAYABLE AT THE TEMPLE OF THE MUSES • / • / • / - 1795 - DH#357a - milled edge to left ////// - |
| Additional information |
Lackington, Allen & Co. operated out of the "Temple of the Muses" in Finsbury Square — at the time reputedly the largest bookshop in the world, its founder James Lackington having built his fortune largely by selling remaindered books at reduced prices rather than destroying surplus stock, as was then common practice. These tradesman's tokens were issued during the provincial token boom of the 1790s, when chronic Royal Mint underproduction of small copper coinage had left British commerce functionally dependent on private issues. Lackington's tokens circulated as genuine trade currency, not promotional novelties.