A Token Minted Just Before the Glorious Revolution
Nearly 100 years before the American War for Independence, the British Crown authorized coinage for use in in its American colonies. Produced in 1688 during the reign of King James II, these coins, or tokens, were struck in England from an alloy of 97.5% tin and 2.5% brass.
Richard Holt, as the representative of a consortium of tin-mine owners, petitioned the king for a Royal Grant to finance the production of these tokens. Upon receiving the grant, Holt hired engraver John Rottier to create the design and cut the dies.
The tokens were denominated as 1/24th Real, meaning they were valued at 24 of the coins equaling one Spanish Real. The obverse of the coin depicts King James II on horseback. Surrounding the periphery is an abbreviated Latin Legend: “IACOBVS. II. DG. MAG. BRI. FRAN. ET. HIB. REX” which translates to “JAMES II BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND.”
The reverse depicts the four crowned shields of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, beginning clockwise at the top. The shields are linked with chains and the Latin inscription: ”VAL.24.PART.REAL.HISPAN.” which translates to “VALUE TO A 24TH PART OF A SPANISH REAL.”
Seven obverse dies and seven reverse dies are known, struck from multiple die pairings. Events of the Glorious Revolution soon overtook the project. James II was deposed in late 1688, and surviving records do not show whether the tokens were formally approved or shipped to the colonies.
Around 1828, London coin dealer Matthew Young obtained a small number of the original Rottier dies and produced restrikes, generally described as being struck in a pewter or pewter-like metal. “Many restrikes attributed to Young can be identified by die-state clues. The best-known example, the Newman 5-D restrike, usually shows a prominent die crack in the right obverse field.
The Five Types of Plantation Tokens
These tokens are scarce, and originals often show dark oxidation and other surface changes associated with tin, with deterioration risk increased under certain storage conditions, particularly prolonged exposure to low temperatures.
- Original (standard): Obverse legend reads “… ET. HIB. REX” (correct “HIB”); reverse shields in the intended order England → Scotland → France → Ireland (clockwise from top).
- Original (HB REX misspelling): Obverse legend misspells HIB as “HB” (missing “I”), i.e., “… ET. HB. REX”.
- Original (Sideways 4): On the reverse denomination “24,” the 4 is rotated 90° due to a rotated numeral punch.
- Original (Arms Transposed): Reverse shields are misarranged; the Irish harp appears in the right/eastern quadrant.
- Restrike (c. 1828 group): Later strikings from the dies; commonly show a large die crack in the right obverse field (though some restrike die states are uncracked).
For readers interested in related pieces, APMEX offers a selection of early American and colonial-era coins.
