½ Penny Token (D
& H 14 - Norfolk, Norwich) |
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| Obverse - |
The Armorial bearings of the City of Norwich. (A castle
triple-towered, in base a lion passant gardant.) For full description
see Norfolk No. 8. |
| Legend: |
MAY NORWICH FLOURISH. PRO BONO PUBLICO |
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| Reverse - |
Arms: (Gules, on a bend between six crosses crosslets
fitchée argent, an escutcheon or, charged with a demi-lion
[a lion on the token], rampant pierced through the mouth with an
arrow, within a double tressure flory, counter-flory gules.) [The
tressure is not so shown, and the tincture would be impossible to
engrave at this minute scale] of the Howard Family — the Duke
of Norfolk's. Behind the shield are two truncheons or
Marshal's staves, in saltire or, enamelled at each
end sable. [This tincture is omitted on the token.] |
| Legend: |
NORFOLK AND NORWICH HALFPENNY. 1792 |
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| Edge: PAYABLE AT N. BOLINGBROKES HABERDASHER
&C NORWICH .X. |
| Diesinker, Wyon; manufacturer, Kempson. Thirty
cwts. struck. Common. |
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| Comments. Nathaniel Bolingbroke was a haberdasher and silversmith
in the Market Place at Norwich. |
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| The truncheons behind the shield bearing the duke's
Arms refer to his office as Earl Marshal. This was first granted by Richard
II to Thomas Mowbray, and was last conferred by Charles II upon Henry,
Lord Howard, with a long entail to others of the same family. The Earl
Marshal is empowered to bear a gold truncheon enamelled with black at each
end; the upper having the King's Arms engraven thereon, and the lower those
of the Earl Marshal. |
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| The Earl Marshal's Court, usually held at the hall
of the Heralds' College, examines questions affecting pedigrees and armorial
bearings, and his subordinate officers are the Kings at Arms, Heralds and
Pursuivants. They publish royal proclamations, marshal such royal ceremonies
as Coronations, Marriages, Christenings, Funerals, etc., and grant heraldic
bearings to those entitled to bear them, or blazon fresh coats where no
previous right exists. |
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| The escutcheon bearing the demi-lion rampant on the
bend in the arms is an honourable augmentation granted to Thomas, second
Duke, in honour of his victory at the battle of Flodden Field. |
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| The Duke of Norfolk is also Earl of Arundel, Surrey,
Norfolk, and Norwich; Baron Mowbray, Howard, etc., and after the Princes
of the Blood Royal is the Premier Duke and Earl of England. |
| Commercial Coins 1787-1804., pp. 128-129 |
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