Images(2)

Halfpenny Trade Token (Perth)

AssociatedAssociated with James Wright, Jun

Date1797

Object NameToken

Mediumsilver

ClassificationsTokens

Dimensions28 x 2mm, 12.47gm

AcquisitionPurchased in 1994 with assistance from the National Fund for Acquisitions.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS027503

Keywords

About MePrivate tokens issued by the Dundee numismatist, James Wright, are almost the only Scottish types to be issued in precious metal. This example is a Perth silver halfpenny.

The obverse of the token is an illustration of the Church of St. John, patron saint of Perth. Beneath the illustration is a tiny representation of the arms of the city. This little detail together with that of the portrayal of the church are typical of Wright's painstaking work. The reverse shows a well-detailed view of a watermill with undershot wheel. Around the illustration a 'statistical' legend is crowded into the available space in Wright's characteristic style. James Wright's tokens are of interest to economic as well as to architectural historians today: this one tells us that 46 watermills served various industries in the Perth area.

Unlike Wright's Dundee silver tokens which bear a value of one shilling the denomination of this Perth type is only one halfpenny. This is probably because the token was mainly issued in copper and the same dies were used for the rare silver version. Even the copper version was a very limited issue.