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Farthing - Kent Maidstone / J. Ruse
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1648-1672 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Farthing = 1/4 Penny = 1⁄48 Shilling = 1⁄960 Pound |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Within a beaded inner circle, the merchant's initials I R (for James Ruse) are displayed prominently in the central field, separated by a small rosette ornament. A circular Latin legend reading MEYDSTONE ♦ IN ♦ KENT * surrounds the inner circle, identifying the place of issue as Maidstone in Kent. A beaded border encloses the full design at the coin's edge. The composition follows the standard format of English seventeenth-century farthing trade tokens issued under the Commonwealth and Restoration periods. |
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| Additional information |
Maidstone tradesmen's tokens flooded Kent during the 1648–1672 period precisely because the Crown had utterly failed to supply small change in sufficient quantity — Royal farthings under Charles I had been widely counterfeited, and Parliament showed no urgency in replacing them. J. Ruse issued this piece as a private commercial necessity, redeemable at his premises and trusted within a local economy that had no better option. Withers 385 is among hundreds of catalogued Maidstone pieces, reflecting just how active the town's mercantile community was relative to its size.