18th Century, Aylesbury, Skidmore’s mule Halfpenny, 1797, FW cypher in script capitals, surmounted by the crest of a swan and encircled by wreath of oak and palm, rev. heart on hand, honour above, edge grained, 9.24g/7h (DH 8). Practically as struck with virtually full original colour, extremely rare; only one other specimen known to the cataloguer (£400-500)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Preston-Morley Buckinghamshire Collection: Tokens.

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Collection

Provenance:
From a 19th century collection;
Spink Auction 92, 9 June 1992, lot 3.

A careful study of the state of the various minor flaws on the Wheeler obv. die when being used to strike the series of mules (DH 8 to 13), would appear to suggest a striking order of DH 13, 11, 10, 8, 12 and 9 (see also W J Noble sale, and the descriptions to lots 14 and 18). The absence of flaws on specimens of DH 4, 5 and 6 confirm that these were struck early in the die’s use