Back

Great Britain - 1811

Bewicke Main Colliery penny

Obverse:

Within a circle a sailing ship next to a coal staith.

Legend:

BEWICKE MAIN COLLIERY

Exergue:

* 1811 *

Size:

33.6 mm.

Edge:

Milled slash

Reverse:

Within a circle in four lines: ONE / PENNY / PAYABLE / AT

Legend:

NEWCASTLE ON TYNE AND LONDON • + •

Vern's Comments:

Withers:
NEWCASTLE ON TYNE - Bewicke Main Colliery

885 Penny, 1811.
BEWICKE MAIN COLLIERY+ 1811 + around; in centre, within a circle, a sailing ship at the side of a coal staith.
℞ In centre, within a circle, ONE PENNY PAYABLE AT in 4 lines; around, NEWCASTLE ON TYNE AND LONDON • + •
Davis 16
Edge : neatly grained slash B10.
34mm 18.4g Die axis ↑↑. VC

Coal has been mined at Newcastle since the earliest of times. Bewicke Main Colliery and Works, which was situated at Kibblesworth, south of the river, in Co. Durham, was sold by auction, as one lot, at the Auction Mart (London) on Thursday the 26th September, 1811, by direction of the assignees of Harrison, Cooke and Co., with the concurrence of the Mortgagees. This would explain why the majority of these tokens turn up in unworn condition. Sharp et al. say that the dies for this token were engraved by Halliday. The manufacturer was Thomason.

Bewicke Main Colliery penny