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England - 1793

Norwich Barracks - Queens Bays

Obverse:

A mounted dragoon with a drawn sword.

Legend:

PRO REGE ET PATRIA. with QUEENS BAYS in the exergue.

Edge:

PAYABLE AT IOHN ROOKS NORWICH .XXXX.

Reverse:

Front view of Norwich Barracks with a walled parade ground and entrance gates, a guard house on the left and railings outside.

Legend:

On a riband, NORWICH BARRACKS 1793

Vern's Comments:

Diesinker, Wyon; manufacturer, Kempson. Common.

Comments. John Rooks was a timber merchant and carpenter with a business in Fishgate Street, Norwich.

The obverse suggests that the first regiment of Dragoons was quartered in the barracks shown on the reverse, which were built by the Government in the hamlet of Pockthorpe outside the city walls. The barracks formed three sides of a square, the centre building on the token being the officers' quarters, while the wings were used for the other ranks. The buildings were started in 1791 and finished in 1794, the year after the issue of the token.

There are two minor die variants, D&H 47-8.

Commercial Coins 1787-1804., pp. 137-138

England — Norfolk

D & H 47 — Norwich

Bell Pg: 137-138

O: Similar to last, but the cockade in this instance points to the foot of the T, and the point of the sword is near the E of "ET."

A. 48

R: The same as last.

E: PAYABLE AT IOHN ROOKS NORWICH .XXXX.