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1/2 Penny Warwickshire - Birmingham / Lutwyche's
| Issuer | Lutwyche's |
|---|---|
| Year | 1791-1797 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Penny (1⁄480) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Two conjoined draped busts in profile facing left, representing the British royal family, likely King George III and Queen Charlotte, occupying the central field. The surrounding circular legend reads LONG MAY THEY REIGN OVER A GRATEFULL PEOPLE, with a raised dot stop at the conclusion of the inscription. The portraits are rendered in a bold relief consistent with the Birmingham token-making tradition of the 1790s. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Lutwyche's halfpenny belongs to the wave of provincial coppers struck by private traders and manufacturers during the 1780s and 1790s, when chronic small-change shortages left the Royal Mint's neglected copper coinage functionally useless for everyday transactions. Birmingham became the hub of this trade token industry, with Matthew Boulton's Soho Mint setting the mechanical standard that pieces like this one were measured against. Lutwyche's tokens were produced to facilitate retail commerce at a specific Birmingham business, not as speculative issues for collectors — though the series attracted both immediately.