The Trade Tokens of
John Wilkinson

John Wilkinson - Iron Master (1728-1808)

The first copper token coinage of late 18th century Britain, the Parys Mine penny tokens of Thomas Williams, began to appear in London as early as the end of March, 1787. At the same time a second industrialist, John Wilkinson, the legendary Iron Master of Shropshire during the early Industrial Revolution, was preparing to issue copper tokens. Wilkinson, who was born in 1728 at Clifton in Cumberland, had entered the iron industry at an early age, and through initiative and enterprise rose to become pre-eminent in this rapidly developing aspect of the industrial revolution. He has been referred to as "father of the South Staffordshire iron trade" by some and even "king of the iron world" by others*. His invention in 1774 of a devise for precision boring of cylinders, originally meant for producing cannons to be used by the British in the American war of independence, proved to be essential the following year to Mathew Boulton and James Watt in the development of their steam engine. Without this degree of accuracy, the Watt engine could not have achieved the efficiency of operation required for widespread commercial use. In 1783 Wilkinson became the first iron master to use a Boulton & Watt steam engine in his foundries. Three years later Boulton successfully applied the steam engine to the stamping of copper coinage for the East India Company, a development that was eventually to revolutionize the production of coinage.

* Despite some references in other Internet articles, John Wilkinson was NOT the Wilkinson who founded Wilkinson Sword Ltd., that person was James Wilkinson, a London Swordsmith.

The first Wilkinson tokens appeared in the spring of 1787. Like those of the Parys Mine Company, they were initially intended as payment for wages on a local basis, not for a larger circulation. Their edges bore the names of four hamlets: WILLEY SNEDSHILL BERSHAM BRADLEY (Willey & Snedshill in Shropshire, Bersham in North Wales, and Bradley in Staffordshire) - at or near which Wilkinson had his iron foundries and allied works. He seems to have originally intended his tokens to circulate as pennies, a desire which was quickly abandoned due to local opposition. They were reissued as halfpennies, and they were struck intermittently down to 1795. All of the issues, from 1787 through to 1795, featured Wilkinson's portrait facing right, on the obverse, along with his name and self-bestowed title (JOHN WILKINSON IRON MASTER). This obverse excited considerable comment as Wilkinson's portrait, rendered by John Gregory Hancock sr., strongly resembled that of King George III. Wilkinson stood his ground, however, stating that while George was king of the realm, he, Wilkinson, was "king of iron". This deliberate regal resemblance was lampooned in the London Magazine of December 1787.

So Wilkinson, from this example

Gives of himself a matchless sample!

And bids the Iron monarch pass

Like his own metal wrapt in Brass!

Which shows his modesty and sense,

And how, and where, he made his pence.

As iron when 'tis brought in taction,

Collects the copper by attraction,

So, thus, in him 'twas very proper,

To stamp his brazen face on Copper.

The first announcement describing the new tokens of the Ironmaster appeared in the The Gentleman's magazine and historical chronicle.

(Supplement to Dec. 1787, p. 1161)
Wilkinson's Worcestershire Token.

Fig. 5. is the token of an opulent individual, Mr. John Wilkinson, of Worcestershire. On one side is the proprietor's head, with this inscription, "John Wilkinson, Iron Master." On the reverse is the representation of the large striker, and a forge, with an artificer at work. The names of his four different works are Willey, Snedshill, Bersham, and Bradley . Dr. Priestley married a daughter* [sic. ] of the above gentleman, who by his treasure long since rendered his son-in-law [sic. ] independent of the patronage of the great; Mr. Wilkinson being in possession of a fortune of £80,000 all acquired by his own industry.

(March 1788, p. 269)
Corrections: Vol. LVII, p. 1161.

Mr. Wilkinson (the iron-founder) is Mrs. Priestley's brother, not her father. The latter died, not affluent, a few years ago.

It appears the Gentleman's magazine did not put much stress on accuracy as Wilkinson did not live in Worcestershire. See also note on location of the tokens in the listing below.

John Wilkinson's halfpenny token of 1793 - Forge version.

(DH Warwickshire 393)

The early reverses ordinarily depicted the interior of a forge, with a large drop hammer and a workman holding a piece of iron on an anvil beneath it. There was no inscription on the reverse, only the date in the exergue. Hancock was also responsible for the reverse dies of these tokens which, unlike the obverse, caused no controversy.

In 1788, the forge reverse was briefly joined by one featuring a ship. This might have been issued to celebrate the vessel, Trial, an iron canal barge for trade on the Severn River, which was built by Wilkinson and launched at Willey, in Shropshire, on the 6th July, 1787. Since the ship depicted on the token is a two masted brig, it is doubtful that this represents the actual canal barge itself, but this token is popularly called "the barge type". The "barge" token, and its counterfeit imitations, are thus supposed to commemorate the world's first iron boat, but in all likelihood this type was struck to illustrate Wilkinson's overseas trade, particularly with France.

In 1790, a new reverse design was introduced, depicting the Roman god of the forge, Vulcan, seated right on an anvil, hammering a piece of iron on another anvil. In the background on the right can be seen the masts of a ship. This allegorical reverse appeared on a large number of tokens struck during that year and over the next two.

The manufacturing history of these pieces is incompletely known. But a good many of them seem to have been struck at the Parys Mine Company's mints in Holywell and Birmingham - again judging from what scraps of contemporary information remain in Birmingham. This information applies for the early issues of 1787 and 1788. It is known that Matthew Boulton struck the pieces with the forge reverse design from late 1790 on to the end of the series, while Hancock was responsible for those tokens with the Vulcan reverse.

There was briefly a silver token as well, tariffed at three shilling sixpence, of which approximately 100 were struck. This was also designed by Hancock and made its appearance in 1788. This token featured the usual Wilkinson obverse, while the reverse bore a ship (nearly identical to the one on the scarce copper piece of the same year). The edge inscription was the same as for the copper tokens, listing the four main Wilkinson foundries. However, after only a few pieces were struck Wilkinson was advised that, while he might be the king of the world of iron and the Royal Mint would not mind his advertising that fact on copper tokens, it would take a distinctly dim view of any attempt to issue silver tokens. Silver money was the prerogative of the Crown. So this issue was withdrawn as tokens and the few existing pieces were distributed privately as medals.

1788 silver "barge" token (DH Warwickshire 337)

The Wilkinson tokens of all three reverse designs (forge, barge, and Vulcan) were extensively counterfeited in the early and middle 1790's, several with misspellings of his name as WILKISON or as WILKENSON. Other counterfeits using muled reverses produced by other token manufacturers were also issued. In all some 240 different Wilkinson token types were issued, about half of which were counterfeits. The Wilkinson tokens were so numerous and so widely distributed that, like the Parys Mine tokens, they became almost a universal "coin of the realm" during the 1790's and were popularly known as "Willeys" (sometimes spelled "Willys").

A condensed version of the Dalton and Hamer (DH) listing of Wilkinson tokens.
The normal edge reads WILLEY SNEDSHILL BERSHAM BRADLEY
(C.) indicates counterfeit.

These tokens are all listed under Warwickshire. When James Conder, linen draper and token issuer, produced the first major listing of 18th century tokens in his book An Arrangement of Provincial Coins, Tokens and Medalets issued in Great Britain, Ireland and the Colonies in 1798 he mistakenly confused Wilkinson's iron works at Willey, Shropshire, with the small village of Willey in Warwickshire, and so listed all of the Wilkinson tokens under that county. Other token lists have perpetuated this error, including Dalton and Hamer. The proper place of listing these tokens should be under Shropshire! (comment by J. Dell)

DH#332 to 474 = 143 major varieties (minor sub-varieties not listed).

332 Uniface bust of Wilkinson (C.)

333 Indented impression of Wilkinson bust; rev. Man and clergyman by table (C.)

334 Crude imitation bust; rev. AND HE SAID LET US MAKE PENNYS AFTER MY OWN IMAGE. (C.) Macclesfield edge

335 Uniface; obv. as 334 (C.)

336 Barge, 1788

337 -- -- FINE SILVER on rev.; struck in silver and current for 3s 6d.

338 Barge, 1792. (C.) Anglesea edge

339 -- -- WILKISON (C.) Anglesea edge

340-368 Forge, 1787.

369-371 -- -- (C.) Anglesea edge

372-374 -- -- WILKISON (C.)

373,374a -- -- -- (C.) Anglesea edge

375-384 Forge, 1788

385-388 Forge, 1790

389 Forge, 1792

390 -- -- (C.) various edges

391 -- -- WILKENSON (C.) Anglesea edge

392 -- -- WILKISON (C.) Anglesea edge

393-394 Forge, 1793

395-408 -- -- (C.) various edges

409-416 -- -- small date

417-418 -- -- WILKENSON (C.) various edges

419 Forge, 1794, WILKISON (C.)

420-423 Forge, 1795

424-430 Vulcan, 1790

431 -- -- WILKENSON (C.) Anglesea edge

432-438 Vulcan, 1791

439-444 -- -- (C.) various edges

446-447 -- -- WILKENSON (C.) mostly with forged copies of the correct edge

448-450 Vulcan, 1792

451-453 -- -- (C.) various edges

454-457 -- -- WILKISON (C.) various edges

459-461 Vulcan, 1793, WILKISON (C.) various edges

462 Wilkinson obv., rev. Female seated with mining tools, 1790 (C.)

463 -- -- 1794 (C.)

464-465 -- rev. Moneta seated (C.)

466,469 -- rev. Cypher HM Co (C.)

467,470 -- rev. Hibernia seated (C.)

468 -- rev. Harp crowned (C.)

471 -- rev. Britannia (C.)

473-474 As 463 but WILKISON

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For an excellent article on British trade tokens by R. G. Doty see: English Merchant Tokens