New Conder - Middlesex 833a Spence's

[Aethelred 0]

D&H Middlesex 833a - Brown Unc.

I love this one! The obverse shows a man hanging on a gibbet with a church in the backdrop, a Union Jack is being flown from the church. The inscription reads "END OF PAIN." The reverse shows an open book that reads "THE WRONGS OF MAN" on the left leaf and "JAN.y 21: 1793." on the right leaf.

I had to think about this one for a while before I understood the political message that the designer of this token was trying to convey, but I believe this is it: The inscription "END OF PAIN" is a pun on Thomas Paine, who was hated by most Englishmen of the 1790s. The designer is suggesting that the obverse scene would in fact be a welcome end to Thomas Paine.

The inscription "THE WRONGS OF MAN" is an obvious jab at Paine's book "The Rights of Man" which was published in 1791. The date on the right leaf of the book 21 January 1793 is the date that King Louis XVI of France was executed. The suggestion here is that Paine's ideas lead to the death of the King of France and would do the same for the King of England if his ideas were to gain a following there.

[Master Jmd 80]

hmm...that union jack looks more like the scottish flag to me (blue background with white cross (X) in middle)...

Looks ugly if you ask me...was it minted in 1793 or a latter date?

[Chris Perkins 228]

That's very clever, and well researched.

[Sylvester 15]

I think the history behind that one makes it worth more than it's weight in gold!

Nice catch you got yourself there, even if it is copper...

[Emperor Oli 0]

Extraordinary obverse, with the unfortunate Mr. Paine swinging from a cross bar - I've never seen anything quite like it. The reverse is a bit of a let down though, compared to the obverse. I think the engraver could have embellished it slightly. Great token though! And I agree with Chris

[Aethelred 0]

I agree that the reverse fails to match the impact that the obverse has.

BTW - I need to get a better photo of this one, I was in a hurry to get it online. Very nice surfaces when looked at in hand.

[Aethelred 0]

JMD - It was minted in 1793. Per Dalton & Hamer it was issued by Thomas Spence a London coin dealer.