Rare, Historic and Unusual Tokens and Medals From Guildford To Be Auctioned

Published on: 19 May, 2023
Updated on: 21 May, 2023

Rare, historic and unusual tokens, medals and related items are up for sale at an on-line auction that ends on Tuesday, May 30.

Surrey tool check tokens.

They include 48 Surrey tool check tokens used in factories, and those from Guildford include Dennis Bros, Design & Installations Ltd, Drummond Bros and Rice & Harper Ltd; with others including RFD Ltd of Godalming, and Unwin Bros of London and Chilworth.

In a collection of farm and market token are examples from Boorman of Send, used to pay field workers.

A group of medals all from Surrey, include, from Guildford: Queen Victoria’s 1887 golden jubilee, Holy Trinity School prize for scripture, King George V and Queen Mary coronation medal. Peace celebration medal 1919, and Guildford Swimming Club medals.

Refreshment token for Guildford’s Royal Arms Coffee Tavern.

There is a refreshment token for Guildford’s Royal Arms Coffee Tavern.

Six tokens used to pay workers in hop gardens.

Four tokens for pupils’ good attendance at Bramley Schools.

A collection of Surrey attendance rewards medals for schoolchildren, including 42 weekly attendance postcards with views of Surrey, believed to have been issued in 1905.

Dating from the 18th century, a halfpenny token from Guildford.

The whole collection, that also includes related books, has been put together over many years by token enthusiast John Theobald.

There are many items on offer that are most likely unique. They will of course be of great interest to fellow token and medal collectors, while their rarity and historical interest means they are without doubt of museum quality.

They are being sold by Simmons Gallery, that sells and buys coins, medals, tokens, weights and scales, direct and by auction. It has been in business since 1982.

Bramley Schools tokens.

Of the John Theobald collection, it says: “The online auction has mainly tokens and medals. Some are consigned, like the Theobald collection of Surrey, a significant local history document.

“We’ve kept the small collections together rather than splitting up what is a fairly comprehensive paranumismatica guide to the county. All lots are sold with John’s notes where extant.”

Click here for the Theobald lots on Simmons Gallery’s website.

Hop garden tokens.

Guildford halfpenny.

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