Merchant Tokens

[Guest Kenny]

I have two John Wilkinson Iron Master copper half penny tokens. One is an obvious counterfeit. It is dated 1792. On the obverse his name is spelled Wilkison. It has the Vulcan reverse. The other one is dated 1788. His name is spelled correctly on the obverse, and it has a ship on the reverse. Also this coin does not have a denomination on the reverse. I have read that his early coins were meant to be one penny. Is this the reason it doesn't say half-penny on the reverse like the 1792 coin? How can I find out if these coins are authentic, and what their value may be? I suspect they are both counterfeits, because there is very little wear on either coin. Also the portrait on the obverse is different on the two coins; his hair is different, the bow in his hair is different, the collar of his shirt is different, and the buttons on the front of his shirt are not quite the same. Can anybody help?

[Aethelred 0]

Do you by chance have a photo of either token?

[Guest Kenny]

I don't have a picture yet, but I do have a digital camera. I haven't tried taking close-ups of small items yet. I'll see what I can do.