Farthing - Essex Braintree / W. Martin

Braintree's tradesmen tokens emerged from the near-total collapse of small-change supply under the Commonwealth, when Parliament repeatedly failed to authorize a regal copper coinage and penny transactions became practically impossible. W. Martin issued this piece under his own credit — essentially a private promise to redeem it at his premises — which meant the token's value existed only as long as Martin remained solvent and in business. Most were redeemed and melted, which explains typical attrition in surviving populations.

The 1650s saw hundreds of Essex tradesmen follow suit. Braintree alone produced tokens from multiple issuers across this decade, catalogued by Boyne-Waters as a distinct municipal grouping.