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.

             I will simply write parts of the article.Now some of you know I put the Peter Kempson collection of Coventry together. It took five years and two years to find the last one. I did not know it at the time but it was a set that was one of a kind. There are no records of another set being completed. Because of that N.G.C. decided to put my name on the label. There were only 19 tokens but they were made in 1797. 

          ..Now there were two types of tokens made. The penny at 34 mm and the half penny at 29 mm. Now these tokens were made because of the economic situation in England. England was at war with France,Spain and the American Colonies. They were near bankruptcy. They were not releasing any gold or silver. So the people and engraver s made these to purchase items. Most were copper but some were also bronzed. On the side of the token it would say were to redeemed it for items. 

        This is about five gates . Cook Street,,Mill Lane,Grey Friars and White Friars and Spon Gate. Soldiers would live in these. They had windows s and a rampart on top. There are only a few of these stand today. Cook Street Gate and White Friars. There is also another one that was not made into a token . The Swanswell Gate. This gate you can go into and walk up the winding stairs to the top. Its also part of the wall!

         Now the gates were put up in the 14 century. Cook street was erected in 1385. Now when you looked up while walking through the gate if you looked up you saw the coat of arms of Coventry. The elephant the sigh of strength. The same were put on the reverse of all the tokens. They had  a wild cat on top with his eyes looking and  watching.. 

         Now there was another set of Coventry tokens. These had the same obverse as the original set but had George Frederick Handel on the reverse. This set will never be completed. . England had a great love of his music and Kempson decided to honor him with the reverse. These are very rare.I own four but will not own any more. I have searched there not to be found. I didn't want to write this much but I can't stop once I start. I hope you enjoyed this short blog on the Gates of Coventry and the Tokens of Coventry!! Obviously I did not write allot about the gates. Many never heard of these and it was only right to give background. Which means I will write another blog just on the gates The last picture is White Friars Gate please click on it!!

       ....Please enlarge Pictures. Taken by a professional photographer Gary Herman known as Coins by Gary!! And Thanks to Mokie! Or Old Mokie??

     ......If your looking to have something published and there are pictures contact Gary. He will be happy to work with you!!