GLOUCESTERSHIRE, Cheltenham, ‘John Bastin’, Penny, 1812, legend, rev. St Mary’s Church, edge centre-grained, 22.09g/6h (W 672; cf. DNW T13, 525). Legends slightly double-struck (a characteristic of the few extant specimens), otherwise good very fine with dark patina, very rare £200-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, 19th Century Tokens from the Collection of the Late Francis Cokayne.

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Provenance: Bt Baldwin 1940.

The cataloguer contends that the die-sinker punched the name bastin instead of bishop (John Bishop), otherwise the Cheltenham pennies (W 672 and 673) share the same dies, although the Bishop pennies are always 3-4g lighter than those naming Bastin. Traces of the a in bastin are visible as an undertype on one of the John Bishop pennies in the next lot. Paul Withers was unable to trace anyone by the name of John Bastin in commerce in Cheltenham at the time