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London (3093), Thames Street, Richard Evans at Ye Old Swan, Halfpenny, 1668
London (3093), Thames Street, Richard Evans at Ye Old Swan, Halfpenny, 1668 London (3093), Thames Street, Richard Evans at Ye Old Swan, Halfpenny, 1668 London (3093), Thames Street, Richard Evans at Ye Old Swan, Halfpenny, 1668

London (3093), Thames Street, Richard Evans at Ye Old Swan, Halfpenny, 1668

£150.00

17th century token

City of London

Thames Street

Richard Evans at Ye Ould [Swan]

Halfpenny, 1668

Obv:  RICHARD EVANS AT YE OVLD     =       Swan

Rev:  IN THAMES STREETE 1668          =       HIS / HALFE / PENY / E / R S

1.29g.

BW 3093, Norweb -.

Fine to Good Fine, but with some weakness.  Extremely rare.

Richard Evans commissioned two tokens, a penny and a halfpenny.  Evans was a baker, not an innkeeper, and there is little evidence that there was an actual Old Swan Tavern in the area at the time, although several authors have assumed that there was.  Instead, "Old Swan" was a neighbourhood in the vicinity of the Old Swan Stairs on the River Thames and Old Swan Lane leading from it, and many people gave their addresses as "near Old Swan".

This halfpenny token is rarer than the penny.  A specimen in NVF sold at DNW in September 2016 for almost £300 (including buyer's premium).