Warwickshire, North Wales 1/2 penny 1787-1795 John Wilkinson Iron Master Halfpenny North Wales Harp DH 468 Conder Token VF

Great Britain, undated halfpenny token with the portrait of the ironmaster John Wilkinson, copper, milled.

Obverse: bust of John Wilkinson right, legend IOHN WILKINSON IRON MASTER.
Reverse: a harp beneath a crown, legend NORTH WALES.

Reference: Dalton and Hamer, Warwickshire 468.

John Wilkinson, born in 1728 at Little Clifton in Cumberland and died on 14 July 1808 at Bradley, was the best known ironmaster of his day, with works at Bersham, Willey, Bradley and Brymbo. His boring machine of 1774 was the first to deliver cylinders accurate enough for the steam engines of James Watt, and it won him an exclusive contract with Boulton and Watt. He was the driving force behind the first iron bridge at Coalbrookdale and sold his shares in it to Abraham Darby III in 1777; in 1787 he launched the first barge built of wrought iron. Copper brought him together with Thomas Williams, the Copper King of Parys Mountain on Anglesey, in whose Mona Mine he held a sixteenth share. Of all the industrial issuers of tokens Wilkinson was the only one who put his own likeness on his money. His pieces were supplied by John Westwood and by Matthew Boulton's Soho Mint. The harp beneath a crown with the words NORTH WALES appears on Wilkinson halfpennies of 1792 whose edge names London and Anglesey; in the specialist literature the pairing of the Wilkinson portrait with this reverse is counted among the mules, die combinations put together at the manufacturer for collectors.

vanzandwijkmunten: because one coin is never enough.

About me

Coins have been part of my life for almost thirty years. It started with the things I found in the ground as a boy, and it never stopped. First the searching, then the reading and figuring out, and the collecting. Dealing came much later, and even though it is how I make my living now, I still enjoy looking at every piece the way a collector does.

Everything you see here has passed through my own hands. I describe and photograph each piece myself. There is no team behind me. You always deal with me.

Your purchase is guaranteed

Every shipment goes out registered with track & trace, and I pack everything myself. If something goes wrong along the way, I cover the cost. That risk is mine, not yours.

I ship on two fixed days a week, Monday and Thursday. The track & trace is added to your order so you can follow your parcel online.

Three things that are possible with me

• Not able to pay in one go right now? Paying in parts is possible, and I can reserve a piece for you with a down payment.
• Several pieces in mind? Send me a message through MA-Shops with the item numbers and I will see what I can do for you.
• Looking for something and not sure whether I have it? Just send a message. I do not have everything online. Tell me what you are after and I will keep an eye out for you and let you know as soon as I have something.

Practical

For payments within Europe I recommend an IBAN transfer (SEPA), which saves you the extra costs of third parties.

Would you rather see a piece in hand first? That is possible by appointment. Send me a message telling me which piece it is and we will arrange something.

If you are unsure about a coin, feel free to ask for extra photos or for a detail you cannot see clearly on the scan.

Kind regards, Vincent

vanzandwijkmunten: Because one coin is never enough

Shipping