John Wilkinson Penny 1787 - The First

Warwickshire (Warks), Willey 1787. John Wilkinson, The "Iron Master" copper, 14.06g. This important issue is believed to be the first of the Wilkinson issues. The reverse features a man working at a drop hammer. The edge lettering is "WILLEY SNEDSHILL BERSHAM BRADLEY." The big distinction variety here is the window on the back wall, no other Wilkinson issue features this window. It’s assumed that these were actually made with the intent of being penny denominations but merchants, given the size of the tokens, refused to accept them. Notice there is no denomination on Wilkinson tokens, unlike the Anglesey pennies and halfpennies issued in the same year. Also, this appears to be the only Iron Master token that doesn't have rim denticles. This example has some scattered handling, Scarce.
The following from Jon Lusk's book "British and Irish Tradesmen and Their Copper Tokens 1787 - 1805": John Wilkinson (1728-1808) was truly an iron master. He was also heavily involved financially, in the copper industry. (Adding copper to cast iron increases its strength and corrosion resistive properties.) He held shares in Cornish copper mines such as United Mines, North Downs, Consolidated Mines, Poldice, Scorrier, Wheal Bussy, Tresaven, and Chasewater. He held patents for a number of processes, one being the boring of iron cannons. In 1787 he launched the first iron barge, mocked by the locals until it actually floated. (ed. as the ancient prognostication states "Iron in the water shall float As easy as a wooden boat.") See the other reverse types that depict an sailing river barge or a figure of Vulcan hammering at an anvil. Die sinker and manufacturer is John Hancock.