Fred Jeffries Coin Dealer token, Melksham 1972

[Paddy 1,777]

I came across this lurking amongst my random collection of bits and pieces. Anyone know much about Fred Jeffries? I see he was mentioned briefly in another thread about 4 years ago.

It has to go, and before I throw it in with another job lot, I thought I would offer it here in case anyone remembers him. First sensible offer (does not need to be much!) to include postage gets it.

[copper123 1,521]

seem to remember the name 

[Sword 1,496]

There is quite a bit about him on the net. This is on the Noonans website: "Frederick James Jeffery (1907-78), who styled himself as ‘England’s leading provincial coin dealer’, started dealing in coins in 1932. Popularly known as ‘Uncle Fred’ (though not to be confused with Fred Baldwin who also shared the same sobriquet), Jeffery was the first English dealer to regularly attend the American Numismatic Association’s annual convention. His open-style marketing methods and his vast stock ensured that he was well known and he was a fervent supporter of local numismatic societies, often travelling vast distances to a meeting with an estate car laden down with coins and sets to sell to members. His metallic tokens commemorate his 40th year in a business that is carried on today by his son, Richard Jonathan Jeffery; the tokens themselves were struck by Toye Kenning & Spencer in 1973, a decision prompted by the same manufacturer having struck the Wessex Numismatic Society’s Silver Jubilee medal earlier that year, Jeffery being then a prominent member of that Society. Fred Jeffery’s wooden farthing, of which 5,000 were made, was distributed at the 1966 ANA convention in Chicago"

https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/archive/special-collections/1032/401807/?sort=Hammer

He has some humour it seems and one of the tokens in the link has the legend "illegal tender for any amount".

The business is still in Yell.