Description
Bath, Whitchurch & Dore Penny, 1811
Date & Origin:
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Struck 1811, for circulation around Bath, Whitchurch and Dore (Somerset area).
Issuer:
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Local association of traders (often coal/mining or iron-related interests in the Whitchurch/Dore district).
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Typical merchant issues in Bath around this period were backed by coalmasters and manufacturers.
Metal / Size:
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Copper, about 34–35 mm (penny token size).
Design
Obverse:
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Inscription usually along the rim: “BATH, WHITCHURCH & DORE TOKEN 1811”.
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Centre: often a shield or local emblem, sometimes decorative floral or coal/mining symbols.
Reverse:
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Large lettering: “ONE PENNY TOKEN” within a plain or beaded circle.
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May also include “PAYABLE AT …” legend (denoting where it could be redeemed).
Edge:
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Known edge varieties: plain, engrailed, or with lettering.
References:
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Catalogued in Dalton & Hamer (D&H) under Somerset penny tokens.
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Also listed in Davis’ 19th Century Token Coinage.
Historical background
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By 1811, there was a severe shortage of copper coinage. Merchants in Bath, Whitchurch and Dore (likely coalmasters in the Bristol coalfield) issued these pennies as a stop-gap.
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Tokens circulated locally in wages and trade, accepted by shops and inns, until the government outlawed them in 1817.
