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Trade Token,
Appleby
APPLEBY TOKEN.
WE copy the following from the "Kendal Mercury" of March 28,
1863, conceiving it of interest, as tending to settle a
question of numismatics upon which different opinions have
been entertained.
"In taking down the old dwellings on the south side of
Allhallows'-lane, Kendal, consequent on the widening of that
street, the workmen turned up a small brass token of the
seventeenth century, issued at Appleby, in Westmoreland, in
the year 1669.
"Mr. Brockett, in his 'Tradesmen's Tokens (of the
seventeenth century) issued in the counties of Cumberland
and Westmoreland,' 1853, and republished in the GENTLEMAN'S
MAGAZINE for May of that year, has omitted any notice of
this specimen; it is however engraved and described in the
latter publication for March, 1792, p.209, without, we
believe, being assigned to any county. In Mr. Boyne's
elaborate work, 'Tokens issued in the Seventeenth Century in
England, Wales, and Ireland,' 1858, and also in Mr. North's
'Leicestershire Tokens.' 1857, it is given, but in both
dubiously appropriated to Appleby in Leicestershire.
"We think, however, there can be no question that we are
right in claiming this token for our Appleby, from
the fact of its occasional - though it must be admitted rare
- occurence in this part of the country, and also that
William Smith (doubtless the issuer of the token now under
consideration) was Mayor of Appleby, in this county, in the
years 1667 and 1673.
"If any of our Appleby correspondents could identify the
pigeon chosen for his obverse by the William Smith of the
token as having any reference or allusion to the trade or
occupation of their Mayor of that name, it might further
tend to confirm our assumption, and finally decide the
question of this token's parentage.
"The token just discovered is of brass, of the farthing
size, and is in excellent preservation. It contains on the
"Obverse - WILLIAM SMITH* = A pigeon pecking.
"Reverse - IN-APPLEBYE-1669* = .*. / W
S. / .*.
And is now in the possession of John Hudson, Esq., of Larch
How.
"We believe this to be the first time the above token has
been accurately delineated, as in all the descriptions we
have met with the name of the town is spelled APPLEBIE,
instead of APPLEBYE.
Kendal, March 25, 1863.
"K.K."
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