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England - 1795

Mail & Post Coaches - (Holborn)

Obverse:

St. George killing the dragon, crest, a boar.

Legend:

HOLBORN LONDON

Exergue:

C . JBBERSON

Size:

30.2 mm.

Edge:

plain

Reverse:

In four lines within a laurel wreath: MAIL & / POST COACHES / TO ALL PARTS OF / ENGLAND.

Vern's Comments:

BELL N^o 10 D&H 342

LONDON Ibberson, C.
   Obverse :- St. George encountering the dragon, surmounted by a Crest : (A boar statant). Legend :- HOLBORN LONDON In the exergue, C. JBBERSON The diesinker's name, Ponthon, is engraved on the exergue line to the left.
   Reverse : - An inscription MAIL & POST COACHES TO ALL PARTS OF ENGLAND encircled by crossed laurel branches.
   Edge:-PAYABLE AT THE GEORGE & BLUE BOAR LONDON
Diesinker, Ponthon ; manufacturer, Boulton. Rare.

Comments. Ibberson, the proprietor of this famous old hostelry in High Holborn in the West End of London, in common with many others, used waiters' tickets for various amounts, which the unwary might mistake for tokens. One in the British Museum has the obverse from a very worn die, and the reverse, in three lines, SIX PENCE 1800 (D&H 341),
   There is a rare variety of this token with a sma ll boar (D&H 339) which sold for two and a half guineas in Pye's time. The obverse die apparently broke when only a few impressions had been struck.
   About 1870 a London coin dealer, Taylor, made imitations of the small boar variety, but this nineteenth century fake is struck in a collar, has a plain edge, the horse has no saddle cloth. and the name in the exergue is G JBBERSON; while the lettering on the reverse is narrower than the original (D&H 343). [This example is one of the fakes.]
   The "George and Blue Boar," originally the "Blue Boar," no longer exists; but in its day was a terminus for many of the stage coaches to the north.
   The "Blewe Bore" was one of the badges of Richard, Duke of York, father of Edward IV. In the time of Richard III, white boars the supporters to his arms—were commonly used as inn signs, but after his death most had the tincture changed to "true blue"—an easy and inexpensive transition to the colours of Henry VII's partisan, the Earl of Oxford.

D&H notes on the Halfpenny section:

Those of Christopher Ibberson, of the "George and Blue Boar," are of special interest by reason of the rarity of the "small boar" variety. The nineteeuth century imitation has a. plain edge, in collar; a careful comparison of the illustrations will enable anyone to detect the recent impression.

England — Middlesex

D & H 343 — Ibberson`s

Bell Pg: 105-106

O: St. George killing the dragon, crest, a boar. HOLBORN LONDON. C . JBBERSON.

R: MAIL & I POST COACHES I TO ALL PARTS OF I ENGLAND. In four lines within a laurel wreath.

E: plain

343. O: An imitation struck by Taylor of Holborn about 1870, has a small boar, and is without saddle-cloth. Ex: G. JBBERSON.
R: Similar to No. 339, but the letters are narrower.
E: Plain (in collar).
Struck in brass, copper, and white-metal.

Mail & Post Coaches - (Holborn)