Anglesey - Parys Mines 1791

Fully Bronzed proof in Unc. This is a historic piece of numismatic and Industrial Age history. It's the famous issue of the first regular product from Matthew Boulton's Soho mint in Birmingham England that utilized full steam engine power from start to finish, including collard dies. I have to stress 'regular issue' because another issue (D&H 380) was the first token product when the full automated process was declared working but these are considered patterns with only about 75 stuck. This token half penny was the first one of a large regular production (D&H 391, purchased from Bill McKiver, The Copper Corner). Obverse shows the famous Druid of the Anglesey, Parys Mines. Reverse consists of the 'cypher' of the Parys Mine Co. with 1791 above and the legend "THE ANGLESEY MINES HALFPENNY". Edge of the token made with collared dies is flat and sharp with the inscription "Payable in Anglesey or London <<<<<<<<<<<<-".
29.00 mm; 12.45 gm
The following on this order of tokens from fully automated and collared dies of this exact type from the site Soho Mint: [ link ]
"The next couple of months saw Soho busy with the last consignment of Druid halfpence for the Parys Mines, more than a million tokens sent off in September 1791 and, apart from the work done for the French house, Monneron Frères, the biggest single issue of tokens undertaken by Boulton. Unfortunately, Dumarest’s Druid had been sacrificed on the altar of Thomas Williams’ objections, and the new tokens reverted to the original Druid engraved by Hancock. Dumarest was relegated to engraving the oak wreath."
Also from this site - on the earliest trial pattern strike (75 struck):
"Small numbers of Anglesey halfpence were struck in October 1790, from one of two experimental Druid dies engraved by Boulton’s new French designer, Rambert Dumarest. A box of these patterns was sent to Thomas Williams who rejected them out of hand. The face was too big for the head, and admitted no room for brains, the Druid’s beard looked like a waterfall, and Williams would rather give up his coinage altogether than issue these coins!"
The tokens of the Parys Mines Company may well be considered the “premier tokens” of the Eighteenth Century. It is thought that this druid head design was used because Thomas Williams (original manufactuer of the tokens) lived at Plas Llanidan, close to the battle fields of the Romans and Druids in AD61 and AD76.
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Concerning the industrialization of money manufacture the best source may be Richard G. Doty, who wrote the book on the subject ("The Soho Mint & the Industrialization of Money"). Doty also wrote many articles for "The Conder Collectors Journal" in preparation of the book. Some of these may present more detailed information than the book and are accessible. I've transcribed his article on the Druid tokens of Anglesey, which contains details on the evolution of full steam powered coin production and presents rare documentation of the Dalton & Hamer catalog numbers that were involved in this evolution. In includes a little on the 'bronzing' process found on his proof issues. The article is available from the Moneta Library at this: /library/Boulton_Anglesey_Doty%20CTC_3_16.pdf