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Wales - 1787

Anglesey Druid Penny

Obverse:

Within a thick oak wreath, a hooded Druid, left.

Size:

33.8 mm.

Edge:

ON DEMAND IN LONDON LIVERPOOL OR ANGLESEY ·X·

Reverse:

A monogram cypher, P M Co.

Legend:

WE PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ONE PENNY .

Vern's Comments:

BELL N^o 3 D&H 17-85 Thick wreath type 1787

ANGLESEY Parys Mine Co. (3)
   Obverse :- A Druid's head and a thick wreath of oak leaves and acorns.
   Similar to Anglesea No. 2, but from a different die.
Edge :- ON DEMAND IN LONDON LIVERPOOL OR ANGLESEY ·X·.
Diesinker, Hancock; manufacturers, The Parys Mine Company. Several tons were struck, though some varieties are rare or very rare.

Comments. Although there are many forgeries and counterfeits of the Anglesey Pennies, there are none of the thick wreath type.

   The Company's production of brass was carried on at Greenfield where James Conway was the agent at the Brass Mills. The Reverend Edward Hughes had a seat in the neighbourhood known as Greenfield Hall, and Greenfield village was about half a mile east of Holywell. The company employed nearly two thousand miners and smelters. for whose use these tokens were struck. The Parys Mine produced between five thousand and ten thousand tons of copper per quarter, excluding that obtained from copper sulphate in solution. The total output of the two mines on Parys Mountain was from sixty to eighty thousand tons annually, and exceeded the total production of all the other copper mines in the country, though there was great rivalry between Wales and Cornwall. Eventually a coalition was formed which was favourable to the mines at the expense of the consumers.

Commercial Coins 1787-1804., pp. 276-278

Wales — Anglesey

D & H 28 — 1787

Bell Pg: 276-278

O: Nos. 28-31. The same obverse die. No acorn at point of hood.

A. 24

R: 1 under first limb of second N.

E: ON DEMAND IN LONDON LIVERPOOL OR ANGLESEY ·X·

If ever AI would be useful in numismatics it would be in identifying which variety of this and a few other Conder series you might have in hand. My best guess is #28 but it's a guess.

Anglesey Druid Penny