Medals/Medalets & Unusual Pieces
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Medals ... Unusual pieces
The possibility of answering one or more questions of the Columbia Farthing
puzzle is to look into other areas.
Medals, Tokens and the like may give us an insight into the where, when, who
or why they were minted.
George IV
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The reverse of this piece has been muled with the obverse of a Columbia Farthing. The Columbia Farthing mule is listed as #1 |
This is the piece that dates the Columbia Farthings to the 1820s to 1830s.
Although this is not a Columbia farthing it has been listed as #2.
The die alignment or axis is unusual in that normally medals are struck with
both obverse and reverse upright or 0°. Coin alignment is inverted or
180°, a number of pieces including the one above are at 210° (7 o'clock).
Listed in
(not known)
Wellington/Peel
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Reverse with the familiar figure of Standing Justice.
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In D. Sealy's article THE WELLINGTON FARTHING in Token Correspondence
Society Bulletin Vol 2, No 8 (July 1975)
He writes - Generally associated with the Columbia farthing, in size and fabric
if not design, are the so-called "Wellington farthings". (Referring
to #6, 7, & 8).
"We now have the undoubted prototype of this piece," "The 'Wellington
farthing' is therefore to be dated to the years immediately following 1830".
Is this the proto type or vice versa ?
Listed in
Laurence Brown’s British Historical Medals 1760-1960 under reference
1453
C. Eimer's Medallic Portraits of the Duke of Wellington under reference 106
Earl Grey
There have been many claims that the Columbia farthings have been overstruck
on coins or tokens, yet none have come to light.
Could it be this piece that has caused the confusion ?
Thank you to B. Neilson for the information and images.
There are several references to the standing Justice type being found overstruck
by the Earl Grey counter, presumably without actually checking the piece in
detail! It is the Wellington - Peel medalet which is the undertype (at least
on the 2 specimens which I have examined). Possibly inadequate pictures but
you should see the hand with scales in the corner of the neck & chin,
B of NOVEMBER between the L & G and the base of the ground and the outline
of the right arm. On the other side the N of NOVEMBER can be seen between
the I & L and the faces (nose mouth etc) of the 2 portraits. I Have only
come across 2 examples of the medalet and 2 examples of the overstrike which
suggests that both are scarce (but not necessarily rare since I was not specifically
looking for them).
Arrow pointing to the hand holding the scales, in the corner of the neck &
chin.
Due to the nature of overstrikes, it can be difficult to detect the underlying
designs, even more so with images.
Listed in
Laurence Brown’s British Historical Medals 1760-1960 under reference
1442.
The medal varies slightly from that described by Brown in that the Brown’s medal has the lettering “TRVE” in the obverse legend, whereas this example bears the lettering “TRUE”. Also, Brown only mentions one British lion in the reverse image, whereas this example has two.