1/2 Penny North Wales - Pro Bono Publico

This is a conder token, one of thousands issued during the 1780s–1790s to fill the catastrophic gap left by the Royal Mint's near-total failure to produce small copper coinage for decades. The Mint had struck virtually no regal halfpennies since 1775, leaving commerce — especially in industrial and rural districts — dependent on privately issued pieces. The "Pro Bono Publico" motto was a common assertion among token issuers, positioning commercial self-interest as civic necessity. Davis-Halliday 12 places this among the documented North Wales series, though attribution to a specific issuing merchant remains uncertain for several pieces in that grouping.