Help with coin I.D.

doublet2a

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Apr 15, 2007
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Lindsay, California
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Is it 17mm and very thin?

If so I'm betting a 17th century brass farthing (Token) from the UK. Very rare, if found in the US, they can only be spent in the 1 shop they were made for!
 

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Believe it or not, it was found in a coin store in California, in a 3 for a dollar basket.
Yes it is 17mm, and very thin
Thanks

Tim
 

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doublet2a said:
Believe it or not, it was found in a coin store in California, in a 3 for a dollar basket.
Yes it is 17mm, and very thin
Thanks

Tim

That confirms to me it is as I thought. Problem is, for a full ID we need at least enough letters to narrow down a Town name, & then enough letters for the owners name. This one would be near on impossible to get a full ID, but you at least know what it is.
 

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Some history:

During the 17th century some private retailers issued their own small change due to the lack of official coins of small denominations. Around 128 businesses are known to have issued their own farthings, halfpennies and pennies in Wales. For England this figure rockets to over 15000!

These tokens were made from copper or brass, and it would seem the retailers involved were onto a good thing... The cost of production was very low. They could be given as change when a purchase was made and it seems it was all gain for the retailer. First, some of the customers would not return to redeem the value of their tokens. Second, due to their small size, many of the tokens were lost. Third, some retailers demanded more tokens than face value in exchange for goods, for example six farthing tokens for a penny worth of purchases. And finally some traders even refused to accept their own tokens!
Don.........

Source: http://www.caerleon.net/archive/miscellany/farthings.htm
 

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Mackaydon said:
Some history:

During the 17th century some private retailers issued their own small change due to the lack of official coins of small denominations. Around 128 businesses are known to have issued their own farthings, halfpennies and pennies in Wales. For England this figure rockets to over 15000!

These tokens were made from copper or brass, and it would seem the retailers involved were onto a good thing... The cost of production was very low. They could be given as change when a purchase was made and it seems it was all gain for the retailer. First, some of the customers would not return to redeem the value of their tokens. Second, due to their small size, many of the tokens were lost. Third, some retailers demanded more tokens than face value in exchange for goods, for example six farthing tokens for a penny worth of purchases. And finally some traders even refused to accept their own tokens!
Don.........

Source: http://www.caerleon.net/archive/miscellany/farthings.htm

Also, the old English expression 'Its not worth a Brass Farthing', was founded in this period. A single token could not be spent on its own. There was a minimum no. ie. 5 before you could use them.
 

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Thanks for the help..

I knew you guys would do it :hello2:,, Amazing brains here for sure :thumbsup:

I'll mark this one solved

Tim
 

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