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Scotland - 1796

Dundee halfpenny

Obverse:

The infirmary. Under, on the left: I . W . I . and on the right: DESIGN

Legend:

DUNDEE HALFPENNY / 1796

Exergue:

INFIRMARY FOUNDED / 1794

Edge:

Milled

Reverse:

A view of the harbor with a three masted ship passing the wharf.

Legend:

MARE ET COMMERCIUM COLIMUS

Exergue:

In an incused oval the arms, crest and supporters of Dundee with its motto DEI DONUM above.

Vern's Comments:

BELL N^o 11 D&H 16

DUNDEE Issuer unknown.
   Obverse :- A view of the front of a large building with a main entrance and pointed pediments. The letters I . W . I (the initials of J. Wright, Junr.) to the left, and the word DESIGN. to the right, beneath the building. The whole within a sunken oval.
Legend :- DUNDEE HALFPENNY 1796 INFIRMARY FOUNDED 1794
   Reverse :- A view of a harbour with a three-masted vessel passing close to a wharf on which are lying three packages. The ship appears to be heading towards two glass-works' cones in the distance on the left from which dense smoke is rising. The Arms, Crest, Supporters and Motto of Dundee are displayed in a sunken oval beneath the seascape.
   Legend :- MARE ET COMMERCIUM COLIMUS.
Edge :- Milled
Diesinker, Wyon; manufacturer, Kempson. Ten cwts. struck. Common.

Comments. The issuer is unknown. The token was designed by James Wright, and is one of his happiest combinations of the pictorial and inscription.
   The Infirmary was under construction when the token was issued; the foundation stone being laid on the 17th of June, 1793 (although the token says it was founded in 1794) and it was opened in A.D. 1798. It stood on the north side of King Street, and was incorporated by Royal Charter in A.D. 1819, and two wings were added in A.D. 1825. It served the city's needs for more than half a century, until the present Royal Infirmary was built on a site adjoining Barrack Park and opened in A.D. 1855.

Commercial Coins 1787-1804., pp. 246-247

Scotland — Angusshire

D & H 16a — Dundee

Bell Pg: 246-247

O: A public building, I . W . I . DESIGN in small letters under. DUNDEE HALFPENNY 1796. INFIRMARY FOUNDED 1794.

A. 13

R: Slightly different design toR: of No. 10. MARE ET COMMERCIUM COLlMUS.

E: Milled

This is from the same die as No. 16, but all specimens are poorly struck.

10: R: View of a harbour, with a ship alongside a quay. COMMERCE AUGMENTS DUNDEE.
Ex: Arms, supporters, and motto. DEI DONUM. At the sides, WRIGHT DELIN.

Dundee halfpenny