Post-Medieval — Mid 17th century; 1648-1673
The White Bear
This trade token, worth a half penny, was issued for a business at the sign of the White Bear, in King Street, Covent Garden, Middlesex.
Boyne & Williamson (1889) reference London number 1580; Obv inscription: THE. WHITE. BEARE. IN. KINGSTREET (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = A bear and chain (in field); Rev inscription: IN. COVENT. GARDEN. HIS. HALF. PENY (around field, in Roman capitals) Device = N.S.N. (triad of initials in Roman capitals, in field).
The issuer was Nathaniel Norrington, who died in the plague, see 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. 693. See also token number 8737 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. King Street, Covent Garden, lies in the City of Westminster.
- Category:
- Post-Medieval
- Object ID:
- 96.66/693
- Object name:
- The White Bear
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- Norrington, Nathaniel
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
Middlesex; King Street, Covent Garden, City of Westminster, London [City of Westminster], City of Westminster
- Production date:
- mid 17th century; 1648-1673
- Material:
copper alloy
- Measurements/duration:
- DM 21 mm, WT 1.40 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:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.