The Important Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by the late Dr David L Spence, of Pittsburgh (Part II)

Finsbury Square, James Lackington & Co, Halfpence, 1794 (5), j over e (2), edge grained, 8.58g/6h (DH 351), london edge, 7.84g/7h (DH 351c), j over l (3), lackington edge, 11.25g/6h (DH 352), anglesey edge, 10.05g/6h (DH 352a), edge plain, 10.82g/6h (DH 352c); Lackington, Allen & Co, Halfpence (12), 1794 (6), 1 of date under coat button (4), temple edge, 9.56g/6h (DH 353), lancaster edge, 9.29g/6h (DH 353a), beccles edge, 11.08g/6h (DH 353c), edge plain, 8.77g/6h (DH 353, edge unpublished); 1 to right of coat button (2), temple edges, 9.30g/6h (DH 354), 8.77g/6h (DH 355); undated, london edge, 9.68g/6h (DH 356); 1795 (5), inner circle on rev. (2), temple edge, 8.81g/6h (DH 357), edge plain, 8.81g/6h (DH 357b), no inner circle on rev. (3), edge grained right, 9.16g/6h (DH 358), edge grained left, 8.63g/6h (DH 358a), edge plain, 8.61g/6h (DH 358b); Lutwyche’s mule Halfpenny, rev. arms of Liverpool, 6.58g/6h (DH 361) [18]. DH 352, 353, 353c and 357 all extremely fine with much original colour, 353c very rare, DH 352c, 354, 355, 356 and 358a all very fine or better, some with colour, DH 358b fair but very rare, others generally fine, a good group of the issuer (£140-180)

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of 18th Century Tokens formed by Dr David L Spence.

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Collection

Provenance:
Fawcett/Litman Collection, additionally:
DH 351 and 354 F.W. Lincoln Collection, Glendining Auction, 12-13 February 1936, lot 245 (part) [both from Verity]
All others except DH 352, *353c, 353 with unpublished edge and 358b W. Longman Collection, Glendining Auction, 12-13 March 1958, lot 166 (part) [247c, 353a and 355 from Spink January 1908, 352a and 352c from Baldwin October 1915, 353 from Lincoln May 1914, 356 from Baldwin August 1907, 357 from Spink March 1912, 357b from Baldwin November 1913, 358 from Lincoln March 1902, 358a from Lincoln March 1903, 361 from W.H. Regan].

James Lackington (1746-1815), born in Wellington, Somerset, came to London in 1773, initially to follow his trade as a shoemaker, but he also began to buy and sell second-hand books, opening a shop at 46 Chiswell street in 1774. By the early 1790s he was making £4,000 profit per annum and in 1793 he sold a quarter of the business to his assistant, Robert Allen. In 1794 he opened a large shop at 32 Finsbury place south, Finsbury square, known as the ‘Temple of the Muses’, from which his tokens were issued. Lackington, by then the largest second-hand bookseller of the day, retired from the business in 1798. Much further detail, including a print showing the inside of the Temple of the Muses, is given by Longman, pp.35-40