The Golden Cross

This trade token, worth a farthing, was issued at the sign of the Golden Cross in Cornhill, Cornhill Ward, City of London.

Boyne & Williamson (1889) reference London number 726; Obv inscription: AT.THE.GOLDEN.CROSS (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = A shield of arms on a cross (in field); Rev inscription: IN.CORNHILL.1649 (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = R.V.R. (triad of initials in Roman capitals, in field).

The issuer of the token was Roger Rea, he and his son were both booksellers and stationers. This is known from an advertisement of the period: "All Maps set out by John Speed of the Counties of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, with Prospects of all the famous Posts of the World, Sold formerly by Sir William Humble, late of Popes-head-Alley, with the Book of Maps at large and history, with the Epitomies, etc., are now sold by Roger Rea the elder, and the younger Stationers at the Guilt Cross is Cornhill, near Pope's-head Alley, London", in Mercurius Publicus, No. 41, October 9-16, 1662, p.683; also in the Kingdom's Intelligencer, No. 42, October 13-20, 1662, p.691, et al; as cited in Boyne (1889), p. 574. See also token number 6807 in the Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles, 59, The Norweb Collection: Tokens of the British Isles 1575-1750, Part VII - City of London.