Hamilton was one of several Glasgow traders who issued copper tokens during the 1780s–90s to plug the chronic shortage of regal small change that left everyday commerce effectively paralyzed across urban Scotland. The Royal Mint had produced almost no copper coinage for decades, and petty transactions were being conducted with worn, clipped, and counterfeit halfpennies that merchants openly despised.
The Dalton-Hamer attribution DH#33 places this piece within a well-documented series, though Hamilton himself remains a relatively obscure issuer compared to the larger Glasgow commercial houses who struck tokens in the same period.
Hamilton was one of several Glasgow traders who issued copper tokens during the 1780s–90s to plug the chronic shortage of regal small change that left everyday commerce effectively paralyzed across urban Scotland. The Royal Mint had produced almost no copper coinage for decades, and petty transactions were being conducted with worn, clipped, and counterfeit halfpennies that merchants openly despised.
The Dalton-Hamer attribution DH#33 places this piece within a well-documented series, though Hamilton himself remains a relatively obscure issuer compared to the larger Glasgow commercial houses who struck tokens in the same period.