Post-Medieval — Mid 17th century; 1648-1673; 1666
The Turk's Head Coffee House
This trade token, was issued for Solyman's Coffee House in Aldersgate Street, Aldersgate Ward, City of London.
Boyne & Williamson (1889) reference London number 65; Obv inscription: Solyman (in cursive script, in field; Soly man, divided by Turk's head) Device = A Turk's head (in field); Rev inscription: The / Coffee house.in / Aldersgate / Street / 1666 (in 5 lines of cursive script, in field).
The inclusion of the name Solyman on the token, relates to the Turkish Emperor, Solyman the Magnificent. Images of Turkish emperors were often used in place of name for a coffee house, the depiction refering to the Turkish coffee that could be purchased at the premises. For further information on the Turk's Head coffeehouse in Aldersgate Street see Bryant Lillywhite, London Signs, 1972 no. 1227, and J. H. Burn, A Descriptive Catalogue of the London Traders, Tavern, and Coffee-house Tokens current in the Seventeenth Century, presented to the Corporation Library by Henry Benjamin Hanbury Beaufoy, 2nd ed. (London, 1855), no. 90.
- Category:
- Post-Medieval
- Object ID:
- 96.66/90
- Object name:
- The Turk's Head Coffee House
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
Aldersgate Street, Aldersgate Ward, City of London, London [City of London], City of London
- Production date:
- mid 17th century; 1648-1673; 1666
- Material:
copper alloy
- Measurements/duration:
- DM 20 mm, WT 1.70 g
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 80%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
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