Great Britain - 1796

½ Penny Token (D & H 14a - Lothian; Campbell's)
Obverse - The bust of a Turk in profile with a flowing beard, facing to the left. He is dressed in bedizened costume with a furred gown and his head is covered with a jewelled turban. In small letters beneath the bust, JAMES. Legend:- PAYABLE AT CAMPBELL'S SNUFF SHOP and a small ornament. -- Similar to Lothian No. 2 except that the Turk is smoking a pipe.	Reverse - A snuff jar bearing the figure 79. Legend: SAINT ANDREWS STREET EDINBURGH. with 1795 beneath the jar, and a small ornament. -- Similar to Lothian No. 2 except that the number on the snuff jar is 37, and the date is 1796. There is a sprig of thistles each side of the jar, and crossed clay pipes above it.
Edge:- Plain.
Diesinker. James; manufacturer, James. Both varieties are scarce.

Comments. Campbell was a tobacconist with his shop at No. 79 St. Andrew's Street in 1795, but he appears to have moved to No. 37 in 1796 (as seen by the next token [this one]), and later to No. 2 South St. Andrew's Street, Edinburgh.

A Turk's head was a well-known trade sign of tobacconists; a full-length figure of a Highlander taking snuff was another; and a negro was a third. The snuff jar on the reverse bears the number 79, the issuer's place of business.

Campbell apparently changed his address during the year. In some specimens traces of an erasure and overstamping in the date and number can be seen.

Some of the coins, D&H 14, have an edge inscription:- SPENCE X DEALER X IN X COINS X LONDON X These were probably struck on flans purchased from Thomas Spence when he went bankrupt. Most of his stock appears to have been bought by Skidmore.

Commercial Coins 1787-1804., pp. 260-262

D & H 14a - Campbell's.
O:	A similar Turk's head smoking a pipe, legend and artist's name as before.
R:	A snuff jar labelled 37, between two thistles, two pipes crossed above, 1796. SAINT ANDREWS STREET EDINBURGH. Short 1 in date.
E:	A. 11b Plain (not in collar).

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