Token During the English Civil Wars, there was an ‘assaying of plate’, in which objects of gold, silver and other metals were recalled and melted down. The assaying of plate even extended to currency. A great amount of silver coinage was melted down, resulting in a shortage of coins during the English Commonwealth period (1649–1660) and just after the Restoration of the Stuart Monarchy.[1] To compensate, many merchants (including clockmakers such as Joseph Knibb and cabinet-makers such as Joseph Clifton) and municipalities reverted back to and issued their own small-change currencies, known as trade tokens. Most tokens were struck from materials such as copper and brass. Some were even struck from pewter and leather. They came in a variety of shapes and denominations and were produced parochially, designed to be redeemed in shops or premises. Thousands of variations were created in London alone, and around 20,000 different types were struck nationwide. The token system was a consequence of economic disruption and indicative of the state’s failure to mint its own currency accordingly. This home-grown bartering system persisted well into the reign of King Charles II. On 16 August 1672, the King issued a proclamation that demonetised tokens and introduced the first royal copper halfpenny and farthing issues. The use of trade tokens had been outlawed. It is likely that this legislation took a year or two to take effect. To read a copy of the Proclamation of Charles II, Issued 16 August 1672: Making Current the Royal Farthings and Halfpennys and Forbidding the Use of All Others, see https://oldcurrencyexchange.com/2015/06/07/proclamation-of-charles-ii-1672-making-current-royal-farthings-and-halfpennys/ End Note [1] Antique Collecting Magazine 2020. Reference Antique Collecting Magazine. 28 October 2020. ‘Explore Trade Tokens from the 17th century.’ https://antique-collecting.co.uk/2020/10/28/explore-trade-tokens-from-the-17th-century/