The Crooked Billet

John Ludgall issued this trade token, worth a half penny, for his business at Bankside, Southwark.

Boyne & Williamson (1891) reference Southwark number 125; Obv inscription: IOHN. LVDGALL. AT. YE. BANKE (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = A crooked billet IN / SOVTH / WARKE (in three lines of Roman capitals with sign between, in field); Rev inscription: SIDE. HIS. HALF. PENY. 1668 (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = The Watermen's Arms (in field).

See also, N2122, in the museum collection. The arms of the Worshipful company of Watermen are: Argent, in base barry wavy of six azure and argent a boat proper, on a chief azure two orars in saltire or between two cushions argent fretted gules trimmed argent tasselled (J. Bromley, The Armorial Bearings of the Guilds of London: a record of the heraldry of the surviving companies with historical notes; with...[illustrations] by Heather Child...(London, 1960).