INTRODUCTION TO
THE
MIDDLESEX SECTION.
T
H E M i d d l e s e x s e r i e s is t h e l a r g e s t , a n d i n c l u d e s m a n y w h i c h h a v e p r e v i o u s l y b e e n c l a s s e d
a s " N o t L o c a l , " b e c a u s e n o p l a c e of p a y m e n t is s t a t e d .
As, h o w e v e r , t h e d e s i g n o r
s e n t i m e n t s u g g e s t s a c e r t a i n l o c a t i o n , it h a s b e e n t h o u g h t e x p e d i e n t t o p l a c e t h e m w h e r e t h e y w i l l be m o s t e a s i l y f o u n d . r e m o v e d to H a m p s h i r e .
T h i s course was adopted with the " N a v a l " section, which was
All h a v i n g a c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e Capital h a v e been r e m o v e d
to
Middlesex. This
series, i n c l u d i n g
the
Halfpennies and the
F a r t h i n g s , will probably e x t e n d
to
four parts. I n addition to those issued as c u r r e n c y , m a n y were struck, for sale to Collectors, v i z . : — T h e G l o b e P e n n i e s , K e m p s o n ' s B u i l d i n g series, t h o s e of P r a t t e n t a n d S k i d m o r e , a l s o t h e H a l f p e n n y size s e r i e s of C h u r c h e s a n d G a t e s , " D e d i c a t e d t o C o l l e c t o r s of M e d a l s a n d C o i n s , " b y P . S . Co. T h o m a s S p e n c e i s s u e d m a n y T o k e n s o n w h i c h a p p e a r d e s i g n s i l l u s t r a t i v e of t h e s e n t i m e n t s he advocated.
A c c o r d i n g t o a w r i t e r in t h e Gentleman
s Magazine,
of J u n e 1 7 9 7 , h e s o l d h i s
d i e s — m o s t l y t h e w o r k of J a m e s — t o S k i d m o r e , w h o t h e n s t r u c k v a r i e t i e s " m u l e d " w i t h t h o s e c u t b y J a c o b s ; f o r w i t h e x c e p t i o n of t h e " H o r n e T o o k e " d i e t h e r e d o e s n o t a p p e a r t o b e a g e n u i n e S p e n c e d i e t h a t is t h e w o r k of J a c o b s . very r a r e .
M o s t of t h e s e c o n c o c t i o n s a r e r a r e , a n d s o m e a r e
T h o s e of t h e C o r r e s p o n d i n g S o c i e t y a r e of a p o l i t i c a l c h a r a c t e r , a s a l s o a r e t h o s e of
D . I . E a t o n , a n d t h e N e w g a t e T o k e n s ; t h e s e w e r e s t r u c k a t t h e m a n u f a c t o r y of K e m p s o n a t Birmingham.
P r a t t e n t ' s dies.were " m u l e d " with o t h e r s to m a k e varieties.
T h e n o t e o n p a g e 2 5 , f r o m t h e m a n u s c r i p t of t h e l a t e R e v . W . R . H a y , M . A . , s u g g e s t s t h a t the m a n u f a c t u r e r looked upon the dies as his property, a n d that, h a v i n g executed t h e c u s t o m e r ' s o r d e r , h e w a s a t l i b e r t y t o m a k e s u c h u s e of t h e m a s h e t h o u g h t fit; t h i s n o d o u b t a c c o u n t s f o r m a n y of t h e " m u l e s . " T h e National series comprises those which h a d previously been placed to Middlesex, a n d a l s o t h o s e of a s i m i l a r t y p e u n d e r t h e h e a d i n g of " B r i t i s h , " in t h e " N o t L o c a l " s e r i e s . T h e " P r i v a t e T o k e n s " w e r e i s s u e d by C o l l e c t o r s , a s g i f t s t o f r i e n d s , a n d f o r m u t u a l exchange.
T h e t e r m is s o m e t i m e s u s e d t o d e s i g n a t e C u r r e n c y T o k e n s , i s s u e d by a firm o r
s o m e p r i v a t e i n d i v i d u a l , b u t i n s u c h i n s t a n c e it is m i s l e a d i n g .