Tokens which survived Great Fire could spark bidding inferno

COLLECTING is an art, a passion, a part of life for millions of people - and it brings many fascinating items to auction which deliver a rich historical lesson. Such is the case with a hugely impressive collection of 17th century trade tokens entered into Hansons’ May 20-21 Historica, Coins, Banknotes and Antiquities Auction.

The collection of 360 Kent tokens, gathered over 35 years by Roger Green, could make £15,000-£20,000 when they go under the hammer at Hansons’ Etwall saleroom in Derbyshire, and deservedly so.

They are part of England’s history and heritage and reveal a story – and theory – that sweeps us back 355 years to the gritty city of London in 1666.

Around a quarter of the tokens coming up for sale are from 1666 – the year The Great Fire of London ravaged the UK’S capital over a fiveday period from September 2-6.

And it’s no coincidence that most of those 1666 tokens, which resemble coins and were used as such, have been found around the banks of London’s River Thames.

You can’t help but imagine that some of those 1666 tokens tumbled out of the pockets and bags of panicking Londoners fleeing for their lives as the Great Fire ravaged their city. Some inhabitants headed to the Thames to escape by boat and the river also provided water to fight the blaze. It was at the heart of the chaos that ensued.

The blaze, which started in a bakery shortly after midnight on Sunday, September 2, gutted the medieval City of London, destroyed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St Paul’s Cathedral and most city authority buildings. It’s estimated that 70,000 of the city’s 80,000 inhabitants lost their homes.

These tokens remind us of that turbulent event and also offer an insight into the history of money itself. In recent months we’ve heard lots about Bitcoin and the cashless society but coming up with a new type of currency and way to trade and pay for items is nothing new.

Back in the mid-17th century, particularly in London, trade tokens were used as currency as no small-value coins were being minted by the government.

Traders were so desperate to do business, they were allowed to press their own farthing or half-penny tokens to give as change. These tiny tokens usually bore the trader’s

name, trade and the year they were made. They were often made of cheap metals such as copper and could be spent locally as well as with the business that made them.

They were widely used in London between 1648 and 1673.

For Roger Green, a lifelong collector of everything from stamps to beer mats, trade tokens proved irresistibly fascinating, sparking his academic collection.

All the tokens he is selling are from Kent, the county he originates from, and were made in areas he knows well.

Initially, he began collecting coins but gradually moved on to tokens.

He found them more interesting as they’re personal to the people who issued and used them. In 1985, he joined the Society of Thames Mudlarks and Antiquarians. River digging opened a whole new area to him and, over the years, he managed to find quite a few tokens, mostly from London and Southwark but also from other areas of the country.

One of his most prized tokens is from Erith, an area of south-east London only a mile or so from where he used to live. It was found at Billingsgate in London and was his reward for a particularly arduous Thames dig.

Tokens from the river are usually in good condition as they’re in a sealed layer of silt which preserves them from the ravages of time.

Roger has his grandma to thank for his passion for collecting. She bought him an album and packet of foreign stamps when he was eight.

It sparked a lifelong love that has explored many avenues. However, the 17th century is the period he finds particularly fascinating as it was the time of the English Civil War.

Having gained enormous enjoyment from his tokens collection, he’s decided it’s time to let go. He’s getting older and has fewer opportunities to add new pieces. However, he hopes the opportunity to buy his prized tokens at auction may inspire others to enjoy, or start, collecting themselves.

I hope so, too. We see many collections at Hansons – ceramics, glassware, stamps, vintage postcards, teddy bears, toys, militaria and more.

They all have one thing in common – they bring tremendous joy to many people.

The Roger Green Tokens Collection will be sold in Hansons Auctioneers’ May 21-22 Historica. Entries invited until May 7. Hansons, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, DE65 6LS, is open by appointment for free valuations.

To book an appointment, email service@hansonsauctioneers.co.uk or call 01283 733988. Hansons specialises in selling entire collections as well as individual or small groups of items.