The James Lamb Collection of 17th Century Tokens of the London Borough of Stepney

James Lamb

By collecting the tokens of Stepney my intention has been to examine what has become of the borough, particularly its 17th century economy, through the lens of these pieces of history. It was an extremely dynamic time for the area, much of which had been reclaimed from swampland in the previous century. There were many maritime connections and industries. Dozens of tokens are named for anchors, mariners, draymen, mermaids, Seven Stars, etc. Maritime themes include mariners using astrological instruments or contemplating the globe. Several tokens were issued by sea captains, who generally lived at the top of the hill in Ratcliff, away from the noise and smells of the waterfront. At least one issuer, Richard Whitpaine of Ratcliff, owned property in the New World, in Philadelphia. The Wills of some issuers were administered by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, which often meant that they had died overseas, presumably engaged in some maritime enterprise, such as Thomas Wadland of Ratcliff. I like to think that the map shown on Andrew Welch’s Upper Shadwell token is of western Long Island and New York harbour, then recently captured from the Dutch, but I recognize that many will disagree!

There were all sorts of industries: ship builders, coopers, rope makers, coal yards, glassmakers, whalers, soap sellers, to name but a few. This era was the last gasp of the guild system. In the booming communities along the waterfront, individual businesses grew quickly and preferred to compete on their own merits. Some of these were naval contractors, including the brewer Anthony Phillips at Wapping New Stairs, and most likely John Shakespeare, ropemaker of Rope Walk, Ratcliff. Several maritime destinations are mentioned: Flushing, Copenhagen, Lee and Lynn, for example, and two vessels, the frigate Speaker and the Golden Cross. And we must not forget Execution Dock, the terminus for nefarious seamen.

Many people have inspired and helped me in my collecting of this series. My sister owns a house in Hackney and each summer during my visits I have spent many hours wandering around the riverside communities, trying to reconstruct the 17th century topography in my mind’s eye. Auctioneers, dealers, mudlarks, various Token Corresponding Society Bulletin editors and fellow collectors have conspired to make 14 years of collecting a wonderful experience. Most of all, I would like to thank Michael Dickinson, my inspiration from the start.
S.J.L.

Cataloguer’s note: The Lamb collection of tokens of Stepney, numbering 477 pieces (409 different and 68 duplicates), closely rivals that of the Norwebs made available for sale, at 467 pieces (340 different and 127 duplicates). To have two substantial collections of a large London borough come to market with a mere 11-year gap is highly unusual, and Mr Lamb has taken full advantage of the available material since he began his quest in 2008. The collection includes a number of pieces that have not been previously recorded in the token media, mostly fi›nds from the Thames foreshore, a rich hunting ground for detectorists and others in recent years.