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1 Penny Worcestershire - Birmingham / Workhouse
| Issuer | Birmingham Workhouse |
|---|---|
| Year | 1813 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | Withers#402 |
| Obverse description | A west-facing view of the Birmingham Workhouse building occupies the central field, rendered in fine detail with architectural precision. The weathervane atop the structure is positioned such that its summit aligns just below the first stroke of the letter N in the surrounding legend. The date 1813 appears within the legend, with traces of an overdate (3 over 2) discernible upon close examination. The circular legend reads BIRMINGHAM 1813 ONE PENNY, distributed evenly around the architectural motif. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Birmingham's parish workhouse issued its own copper coinage in 1813 to manage internal transactions and prevent inmates from accumulating currency that could fund escape or outside dealings. These tokens circulated exclusively within the workhouse economy — redeemable for goods at the institution's own store rather than in open commerce. The Worcestershire attribution reflects the administrative geography of Birmingham at the time, before the town's incorporation as a borough in 1838 placed it firmly within Warwickshire for civic purposes.
Withers 402 is among the heavier documented workhouse pieces, the substantial copper weight a deliberate deterrent against counterfeiting at a moment when token fraud was endemic across the Midlands.