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England - 1795

East Grinstead halfpenny

Obverse:

The Freemasons' arms, crest, supporters, and motto.

Legend:

PRO BONO PUBLICO

Size:

28 mm.

Edge:

PAYABLE AT I - + H BOORMAN O X O X 0

Reverse:

A cypher I H B, a pair of scales above.

Legend:

EAST GRINSTEAD HALFPENNY.

Exergue:

1795

Vern's Comments:

There is a faint remnant of ink on the reverse, probably a previous owners' ID marking. Marvin (below) is quite put out by the number of varities of these privately issued "Masonic" pieces.

BELL

N^o 5 D&H 22

EAST GRINSTEAD Boorman, I. H.
   Obverse :- Arms of the Society of Free Masons. (Sable [shown on the token as gules] on a chevron between three towers argent, a pair of compasses extended chevron wise of the first.) This tincture could not be shown on the token. Crest : (On a wreath [shown on a mound on the token] a dove proper) and Motto : " Amor Honor et Justitia " on a ribband. Beneath a carpenter's square is lying upon a pair of compasses. Legend : -PRO BONO PUBLICO
   Reverse :- An ornamental cypher R & Co, surmounted by a crest, an owl. Legend:- The cypher J H B in script capitals, with a pair of scales above and 1795 below. Legend:- EAST GRINSTEAD HALFPENNY and in the exergue, a small ornament.
   Edge :- PAYABLE AT I - + H BOORMAN O X O X O
Diesinker, Dixon; manufacturer, Lutwyche. Pye says 5 tons were struck, but this is probably an error for 5 cwt, a more reasonable amount for a small village store. Scarce.

Comments. Boorman was a grocer and draper at East Grinstead, and the scales allude to his business. No doubt he was a " Free and accepted " mason.

Commercial Coins 1787-1804., pp. 183-184

Marvin:

LXVIII.
Obverse, The name of the place should be Grinstead, not Grimstead
Reverse, On the reverse will be found a small square and compasses under the shield, between two folds of a ribbon The edge reading is given by Hughan, as in my text, but on a piece in my collection it is as follows — payable at I . H Boorman, o x o x o Mr Carson has one with date 1796.
There appear to be nearly as many varying dies of these Halfpenny Tokens as of the “ Connecticut Cent," with such trifling differences in them, especially of LXII, in the form of the letters, their spacing, distance from the triangle, the shape of rays, &c , as to make it impossible to catalogue them
It seems useless to attempt any description of these variations, for the differences perceptible between two or three tokens, as compared with one which I might take as a standard, could not be discerned by one who did not have an impression known to be from the same dies by which to trace them, and in addition to all there are an apparently unlimited number of blunders in the edge lettering. The varieties a, b, and m. of LXII, (not reckoning careless blunders,) LXV with lettered edge, and LXVIII are probably the most difficult to obtain.

England — Sussex

D & H 22 — East Grinstead

Bell Pg: 183-184

O: The Freemasons' arms, crest, supporters, and motto. PRO BONO PUBLICO.

A. 21

R: A cypher I H B, a pair of scales above, and the date 1795 below. EAST GRINSTEAD HALFPENNY.

E: PAYABLE AT I - + H BOORMAN O X O X 0

East Grinstead halfpenny