17th Century trade tokens lecture

On 26 April 2023 Noonans are holding an auction devoted entirely to 17th century tokens which it says is the first by a major London auction house. Two days before, on 24 April, Laura Bennet will deliver a lecture at the British Numismatic Society entitled “The industrious revolution illustrated: 17th century trade tokens – trade, retail and occupational identity“. For more details on the lecture and a Zoom link, email ppm@noonans.co.uk.

The auction itself will have almost 2,000 pieces; you can view the full catalogue here. It will include the James Lamb Collection of 17th Century Tokens from the London Borough of Stepney and Yorkshire 17th Century Tokens from the Collection of Geoff Percival. James Lamb explains: “By collecting the tokens of Stepney my intention has been to examine what has become of the borough, particularly its 17th century economy, through the lens of these pieces of history.“

One of the stars of the auction is the only know specimen of a Humphrey Boones square halfpenny (pictured above) which was found during the excavation of the Wendover bypass in Buckinghamshire in 1995. The estimate is £500-700.

Noonans’ Special Projects Director Peter Preston-Morley notes: “The collection includes a number of pieces that have not been previously recorded in the token media, mostly finds from the Thames foreshore, a rich hunting ground for detectorists and others in recent years.“