The Fleece Tavern

This trade token, worth a farthing, was issued at the Fleece tavern in Covent Garden, Middlesex.

Boyne & Williamson (1889) reference London number 737; Obv inscription: AT.THE.FLEECE.TAVERNE (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = A fleece (in field); Rev inscription: IN.COVEN.GARDEN (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = W.C (in field, in Roman capitals).

This issuer of this token, is William Clifton, there is another variety of this token that names the issuer, in the museum collection, 96.66/328. William Clifton appears in the rate book, 1651and in the rate book 1657. He still appears to be proprietor of the Fleece in 1672 when it is recorded in the burial register of St Paul's notices, September 13, 1672, the consigning to the earth of "Amey Watts, Mr Clifton's servant", as cited in Boyne, 1889, p. 575. See also token number 8681 in the Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles, 62, The Norweb Collection: Tokens of the British Isles 1575-1750, Part VIII - Middlesex and Uncertain Pieces. Covent Garden lies in the London borough of Camden, and City of Westminster, having formerly lain in Middlesex.