Conder Tokens

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Example of Conder Token depicting Isaac Newton

Conder Tokens, also known as 18th Century Provincial Tokens, were first minted In 1787 by the Parys Mining Company that mined copper ore. They had plenty of copper, access to mints, and there was little low value coinage to be had in Anglesey thus they began minting their own penny and half penny tokens. Not long after others would follow suit and begin designing and minting their own small denomination coinage.

Copper coinage was produced sporadically from the late 1600s to the late 1700s , sometimes not at all, for various reasons. Conder Tokens are named after James Conder who was an early collector and cataloged these interesting coins. They are copper coins (usually pennies and half pennies) minted by towns, businesses, and organizations of all types to meet a need for low denomination coinage that was not being provided, not being minted in sufficient quantity by government, or not making it out to the small towns. These lower denominations were needed to pay workers and make change in an increasingly industrialized society. Thousands of varieties of tokens were minted, many are beautiful and intricate works of art.

Because Conder Tokens were minted independently of government, the creators of these tokens had the freedom to make political statements, social commentary, honor great men, ideals, great events, or just advertise their businesses. Subjects range from Isaac Newton to Abolition and Prisons to Mental Institutions, issuers of the coins need only have the means and the will to mint their own coin. Most were officially payable only in certain areas and locations but there is no doubt that copper coin was copper coin to many at the time and they were widely circulated.

[edit] Further reading

Conder, James. An arrangement of Provincial Coins, tokens, and medalets issued in Great Britain, Ireland, and the colonies, within the last twenty years, from the farthing to the penny size. Ipswich: G. Jermyn, 1798.
Dalton, Richard, and Samuel H. Hamer. The Provincial Token Coinage of the 18th Century. 1910-1917.