Hi!Hope everyone is doing well. Today I will write about about the Gates Of Coventry. Now I will not write the whole article that was published in the Clarion magazine published at the last P.A.N. show. I had no idea that I was published. A good friend suggested it and the editor and publisher said yes.. When I received the magazine in the mail I had no idea the cover was about my article!The beauty of the set they all grade between MS 63 to 66. Not bad for 223 years old!! Please look at the engraving of these. It must of taken months to make a die. You can see every brick and window. This was a man born with the talent.

Hi. Yes this will be a short blog on some of the buildings on Kempson tokens. The ones I chose today are a few of the buildings still standing� from the time they were built. Some are so good it looks like Kempson took a picture of them.. The best part is the years these buildings were put up. I'm not talking 1797. Some of these were built in the 1300's the 1500's. and so on. Just think of that for a moment.�� � � � �The English were excellent record keepers so the dates were not just put on these. You can say some went over rehabilitation but the original face of the structure is the same. Now Kempson almost seems like he knew these would still be around for hundreds of years even some of the gates that protected the city still stand. They are beautiful works architecture. The wall that encircled the city parts still stand.� � � � �Doing research I said I wonder if some of these are still standinng. I went to work and i was surprised. St.John's church later became St.John's High School.� I wrote a journal of these at N.G.C. A few days later I get a message from a fellow collector . He said I went to St John's school there I grew up in Coventry.. Small world. I asked him if he or if he knew of others that lived there if they had any of these tokens. He said none. Passed down from his family he was told they used them.� � � Now I bet if I continued� I will find more.� This is something I thought of after the set was finished. The other tokens I collect many are still standing. Not just Kempson but others. Cathedrals ,government buildings. If you check Kempson other set of building of London many still stand. Some were destroyed in WW. 11.� Hitler had an obsession with� Coventry. He bombed it a lot. One famous Cathedral. St. Paul's� he wanted destroyed. He felt it be could level this Cathedral it would take the resolve from� the people and he could take England. He sent over 200 bombers and St.Paul's still stands.� The people stayed inside and put out the fires. It was built if I remember by Wren. It's in the heart of London. One thing NGC graded many Red Brown the token below it looks like the lights are on!! St.Marys� � � � Sorry I got it the topic. That's ok the two are connected. St. John's token and picture like I said look so much alike.� The same with Bablake and St. Mary's Hall. St. Mary's is used as a catering hall today and� ceremonies.� If you look at the token and the picture there is a wonderful likeness. . I will end this short blog on these wonder tokens and buildings. I hope.you see the talent of this man.� We need people like this working today the old way. The way commens were done and older.coins. No lasers here.!!Be well be safe!!� � � ��

Hi everyone. Many of you have heard of or� read blogs on Conder Tokens.� Some have never heard of them. I will try to keep it simple. Back in the 18th century Britain was in very bad shape financially. With the wars they had they were near bankrupcy. Now what happened next is they started to make these tokens. Just like we did in the Civil War. The difference they had terrific die sinkers and manufacturing.� � � � � � Now I will not list all of the great die sinkers I will tell you about Peter Kempson.. He was one of them. Now a person by the name of Conder noticed these showing up and he was the first to document them. They became Conder tokens. Now� the purpose was to be able to buy things. On the edge there was a writing on most but not all. They made half penny's and pennys. The edge writing would tell you were you could exchange these for products. And also the price of the token.� � � � � These tokens were made of famous people famous sites political and for buying goods. The token you see below is the Soho Mint. They made most of them there a few were made privately. Now your in the 1700' s to make a token wasn't easy . Just the die would take time.� The Soho Mint and below made 80 tokens at a time. They used steam presses. And they came out beautiful. I have a set it took five years to put together. It has 19 tokens and they were made by P. Kempson. He also made a set of England thirty two tokens. I have never heard of a set of these. They would be worth a fortune.� � � � He made this set of Coventry England.famous gates that protected the city. Famous buildings.� He has four reverses plus the fifth the Handel reverse. Three he would put a period after certain letters. Then he made the very rare Handel reverse. There will never be a set of that. They were very rare. The workmanship got my attention. The set I put together is the only one known. N.G.C. agreed but couldn't put it on the label . So instead they put my name on them. It took two years to find the last one.�� � � � They grade from MS 63 to MS 66 with some red brown and a proof like. . These tokens are 244 years old and look like they were made yesterday. The token below shows the token how I bought it. I knew it would grade MS. I sent it in and N.G.C. contacted me saying there was something on it and they could remove it. The graded one is what it looks like after cleaning. This one is not in the set. . There are so many of these Conder tokens. You ask what are they worth. Some hundreds of pounds. The George Washington's token graded MS 61 sold for 25,000 dollars. Yes they have very good prices. But then again your buying art on Copper and bronze. They have so much history. Such workmanship. You can count the bricks and the windows. The cobble stones. This was there tallent.. The token below is of Cardinal Worsely. If you watched the Tudors the story they told of him was not right. Henry the VIII actually liked him . He did not have him imprisoned and he did not kill himself. The gate was dedicated to him he was born in Ipwitch!� � � � � � �Many of these were sold at the time to collector's who kept them in this condition. My set is on the web put in complete Coventry set tokens� it should come up. Well I hope you enjoyed this. Those of you who want to learn more I will be happy to help.� Just send a message. I'm in an auction now for a very special token. Once a week. Druids Revenge sells them in ebay. Take care be well!

Hi everyone hope you are all well. Today is a token about St. Andrew. Who was he? He was the brother of Peter.. It was made in 1792. It's a half penny,made of copper. It weighs 11.1 gems 29 mm� thickness is 2mm. . This token is what is called a double rarity. There is only one rarer than this.� You notice the two pieces of wood he is holding. They are to be his cross. He said I do not deserve to be crucified like Jesus.. The cross is called� de cussata or x shape. It states No one provokes with impunity!� � � � The reverse is the It or arms or Edinbourgh. The edge says Payable at the warehouse of Thos & Alex R Hutchison . He was crucified on November 30 60 A.D. Being St. Peter's brother he was the first follower� of CHRIST. .� � � � � �He preached the word of God and said "I would not preach the honor and glory of the death s of the cross if I feared the death of the cross" .So he was sentenced to death for denying the religion of the Roman gods. His words were "I Cross Most Welcome And Long Anticipated! I Come To You With A Willing Kind With Joy And Desire A Fowler A Student Of The One Who Died For You. I Have Always Embraced You". He was not nailed to this cross instead he was tied. It has The same effect.� � � � � You might say Why is he writing about a Saint. Well I'm actually writing about a token and the man who died on his� �cross.. If you look at the flag of Scotland it was made after the cross of St. Andrew. The country loved him. As a religious man and a man who stood up to the Roman Empire.. One man. He knew he didn't stand a chance. Knew that eventually after the interagations� that� the Romans would sentence him to death. Besides there's nothing wrong with a little religion now in the situation we live in today. Who Ever we pray to. Pray.�� � � � � This is a small blog. The man was sent out to preach the word of God by the Holy Spirit. They spoke all the world langues. He is also the patron Saint of other countries he preached in . When the House or the Senate is called to order in Washington it's opened by a member of one of the many Religions in this country .� He says a small prayer that God will direct these men to a favorable decision. That doesn't happen all the time. Everywhere there is Justice we see in God we Trust.That's a reference to your God not the Catholics.� � � � .So politics does have a place in our history. The Druids had many in Ireland.St. Patrick witch is also a token here in the colonies.. He took there Sun God combined it with the Christian� cross and the Celtic cross was.born. So Conder tokens� have animals ,people famous people.who started the industrial revolution. War hero's just about every famous person in the 18th� century. The political section has one of George Washington. In MS 61 it sold for 25,000 dollars. So you see there are many famous people.�� � � � This was a way of recording there history.. These tokens grade very high. They were taken care of better than some coins today. The biggest I have is a MS 66 many of them. Proof like red and brown and the detail you can count the bricks or the links in a fence. These were masters.� � �So� I decided to write about this man Andrew. Yes an ordinary man who preached. Your not made a Saint the next day . Sometimes it takes centuary's. It's a remarkable process. So it's not a holy day just a normal day in the middle of a pandemic. A little religion won't hurt . It might save lives.� I hope.you enjoyed this story of a simple man. Who influenced� an entire country. Just like the people of the Mayflower. Looking for.religious freedom. So in this day of a virus taking million s.if lives ask St. Anthony for a quick cure . Thanks�

Hi everyone hope all is well. Today I will be writing about Conder Tokens. What are they . They were used in England during the 18th century. Why Conder. Well a Gentleman by the name.of Conder saw one an decided these were important . So he decided to catalog these beautiful tokens. Now Britain was not issuing any silver or gold.They were involved in so many wars it cost them. Like our civil war the people stepped up and made these. Some have the store on the reverse of on the edge. They made half pennies and penny's. . This way they could redeem them for goods. This set was made for collectors. Yes there were collectors back then. And they paid big money for these. The set is considered rare and scarce. The D&H number stands for Dalton And Hammer. A book that has them cataloged.� � � � �Now there were many great designers and die sinkers. This one was made by P. Kempson. He was one of the best and there were also many others who were excellent. What happened they became a work of art in copper.� P. Kempson put two sets together. One of all pennies and one of half pennies. I decided to put together one of his sets. The Coventry Set of tokens. There were 19� in the set. I was told I could not do this . Why well these were made� in 1797. That's 223 years ago.It took five years but I did it. The token below is one of the set. They all graded MS 63 to� MS 66 some red brown one proof like.. .� � � � � Now St. Mary's Hall was built� �on� Marys. street on the south side of St. Michael's Church. It says on the bottom St. Mary's Hall erected 6� in. It was built as a meeting and banquet hall for three of the city's guilds.St.Johns, St. Katherine Church, and Trinity Church. . This is the part I really enjoy. It was� began about 1340-42. The great hall itself started in 1394 and finished in 1414. It was extensively repaired in 1580 and in 1753 the old brick floors were removed and wood planking put in.The windows you see at the bottom were of famous people Earls Dukes, Bishops Mayors,. In 1826 the Windows were replaced Pemberton of Birmanham. Why was this building important. All the public used it the corporation used it. That's during the reign of my friend Henry the VIII. The three other churches used it for there bussiness. What I find remarkable as I always say is the record keeping I mean back to the 1300's . I found I could not put it all in. Now enlarge the picture's the color was taken in the 20th century. The black and white the 19 century.not much change. Now look at the token almost to the brick. That's how good they were and the steam presses put out 60 to 80 per minute.� � � � �This set is rare. It's so far the only known complete set. I will write another explaining these tokens. The token is12.96 grm 29 mm. The reverse is the crest of the town of coventry. An elephant for strength. On top a small castle were the soldiers would be and a wild cat to show there resolve. I'm very proud� of this set it took two years to find the last one. NGC could not say its the only set . But they asked me to send it back and they put my name on the label. They do not do that to often. I was proud . But I had help from my friends at ANA. They didn't find any . But every time I was going to give up they kept me going. The set can be seen in the NGC Registry set or the web. Thanks I hope some of the new comers enjoyed this. It was last posted two years ago. If course more.information. And a picture of my research book. . That's what a research book should look like when your trying to find these. Thanks.� � � � Please enlarge the pictures. By the way the building is still standing!!!!!� � � � � �