Although manufactured and used over 350 years ago, many of these tokens were issued with pretty much the same form of English as we use nowadays, with a few notable exceptions to their alphabet and spelling, e.g.

• The letter “U” is always represented by the letter “V”, e.g. DVBLIN
• There was no letter “J” in their alphabet – the letter “I” was used instead, IOHN (for JOHN)
• The letter “I” was also interchangeable with the letter “Y”, e.g. BALLY or BALLI

In addition to the above, spelling had not yet become standardised, so placenames and personal names are sometimes recorded in a number of forms, e.g. CORK and CORKE are the same place and no single version was deemed correct at the time – the placenames and tradesmens’ names only needed to be understood by the locals. Perhaps some represent the phonetically correct spelling according to local accents at the time.

Dublin City and County account for approx. 20% of these 17th C tradesmens’ tokens

• For the purpose of listing them here, I shall remain faithful to the original listing by placename
• Most collectors are familiar with this, so a change might only be confusing.

Little is known about who issued them, since most were just small traders and people like them usually don’t get a mention in history.  Where possible, I have added scraps of information gleaned from local histories and local archaeological societies.  These notes appear as purple-coloured italic text.

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DUBLIN CITY

In the 17th century, Dublin was a walled city with a series of gates to protect it from raiders via sea and land.  Most of the suburbs we know today simply didn’t exist.  The areas outside the city walls were known as the Liberties and the bylaws of the City Dublin did not apply there.  Outside of the city was the defensive zone known as the Pale of Dublin and, outside of that, was a ‘contested’ zone known as The Marches.

By the 1650’s Ireland lay in ruins – 25% of the population were dead due to the rebellion, the famine that followed and outbreaks of disease such as plague and dysentery.   In July 1653, the Commonwealth regime issued an order for the transplantation the following year of Catholic landowners across the Shannon to Connacht, the most isolated and poorest of the four Irish provinces. This order targeted thousands of landowners and their dependants but even the most recent research on the topic has failed to produce accurate figures for the numbers who actually moved into Connacht. Catholics, however, no longer retained any land east of the Shannon.

In September 1653, two months after the transplantation order, the English parliament passed the Act of Satisfaction, which began the process of distributing forfeited lands among the adventurers and disbanded soldiers. The death of Oliver Cromwell in September 1658 resulted in the collapse of the English experiment in republican government shortly afterwards.

The restoration of Charles II in 1660 raised Catholic Irish expectations of recovering their lost lands but in November of that year the king published ‘a Gracious Declaration’ outlining his plans for Ireland. Charles acknowledged the ‘many difficulties, in providing for, and complying with the several interests and pretences there’, but highlighted the debt he owed to Protestant leaders in Ireland for facilitating the restoration of the monarchy. The declaration effectively established the year 1659 rather than 1641 as the benchmark for all future land claims, consolidating the Cromwellian land settlement in the process and dashing the hopes of Irish Catholics.

After 1650, the traders and merchants within the walls of the City of Dublin were exclusively Protestant but it seems like a few native Irish surnames managed to gain a foothold by the 1660’s.

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Notes:

• Many of these coins are exceeding rare and some are unique, i.e. only one recorded.
• As such, they rarely come up for sale at auction and images are difficult to obtain.
• Additional photo’s will be added in due course.

One of the great attractions of collecting these trademens’ tokens is that they offer great scope for further research and there is also a very good chance that a new (previously unrecorded) token will be found.  

• They often turn up in attic accumulations and car boot sales where they are amongst the unidentified oddments.

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Aicken, Alex

• Obverse: A bear with pestle and mortar / ALEX AICKIN MARCHAN
• Reverse: A A / IN SKINEROW DVBLIN A A
• [no photo yet]

Skinners Row is now known as Christchurch Place and first appears on a map of Dublin in 1367. In 1821, the north side of the street (tenements) was removed and in 1833 the street was widened northwards to give the broad thoroughfare we know today, thence forward known as Christchurch Place. The earliest mention of this place in its Latin form (Vicus pellipariorum) comes via Gilbert in his History of Dublin for the year 1269.

Aston, Henry

• Obverse: Three cocks, two and one / HENRY ASTON
• Reverse: Three gloves, two and one / IN DVBLIN 1667
• [no photo yet]

Barrett, William

• Obverse: Arms: three hearts / WILLIAM BARRET
• Reverse: DVBLIN / CHRIST CHVRCH YARD DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Bealing, Francis

• Obverse: A bell / FRANCIS BEALING OF
• Reverse: F B / DVBLIN MARCHANT F B
• [no photo yet]

Bennet, Christopher

• Obverse: [Detrited] / CHRISTOPHER BENNET THO
• Reverse: A plant in a tub / STREET DBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Bennet, Christopher

• Obverse: The Vintners’ Arms / CHRISTOPHER BENNET IN ST
• Reverse: Three tuns / THOMAS DVBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Betson, John

• Obverse: 1d lion rampant
• Reverse: AT Y WHITE LION IN HIGH STREETE
• [no photo yet]

Bollardt, Henry

• Obverse: HENRY . BOLLARDT, around twisted wire inner circle, pot of lillies within
• Reverse: APOTICARY.IN.DVBLIN , around twisted wire inner circle, .H. H.D/1.E 1654 in three lines within
• Photo
• Blog Post: The Trade Token of Henry Bollardt, Apothecary (Dublin, 1654)

1656 Mr. Henry Ballard, apothecarie, is chosen to be one of the Sheriffes of the cittie of Dublin for this next ensueinge yeare, in steede and place of Mr. John Knott. [DUBLIN ASSEMBLY ROLL, 1656]

1656 – Mayor : Ridgley Hatfeild, esquire. Sheriffs : Richard Phillippes and Henry Ballard.1656. Third Friday after 20 September. [DUBLIN ASSEMBLY ROLL, 1656]

1657 – That Mr. Henry Bollardt, apothecarie, shall have a lease, for the tearme of sixtie and one yeares from the five and twentieth day of March next, one thousand, six hundred, fiftie eight, uppon a wast plott of ground 1657-s. over against Mr. Daniel Beggs buildeings, and adjoyne- inge to the house of one Nicholls, a dyer, neere Polegate, Poiegate. and in breadth from the said Nicholls house aforsaid to the cittie wall thirtie seaven foote, at the yearelie rent of fortie shillings, sterling, with such other covenants and condicions as Mr. Recorder shall thinke fitt to bee inserted in the said lease. [DUBLIN ASSEMBLY ROLL, 1657-8. 133 ]

1657 – Mr – Richard Phillipps and Mr. Henry Bollardt are chosen masters of the cittie workes for the said yeare. [DUBLIN ASSEMBLY ROLL, 1657.]

Masters and Wardens of The Trinity Guild 1438-1671 – 1657-1658 Robert Mills & Ridgley Hatfeild, Masters – Henry Bollardt & John Forrest, Wardens

1659 – St. Warbroughs Street. Sir Charles Coote, Henry Bollard, others. [Dublin Census 1659.].

1661 – Died

1661 – Henry Bollardt, Burial, 22nd Feb 1661. [ “Inscriptions on the monuments mural tablets &c at present existing in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin” by the Reverend John Finlayson A.M Dublin; Hodges, Foster & Figgis, Grafton Street 1878.]

Brice, Walter

• Obverse: Arms of the Brice family: fretty, over all a cross charged with a castle in the centre / WALT BRICE IN CORN
• Reverse: W B / MARKET DVBLIN W B
• [no photo yet]

Brooke, Elvathan

• Obverse: A fleur-de-lys and E B / ELNATHAN BROCKE E B
• Reverse: A fleur-de-lys and E B / IN DVBLIN 1654 E B
• [no photo yet]

Brooke, Elvathan

• Obverse: A fleur-de-lys / ELNATHAN BROCKE
• Reverse: E M B / IN DVBLIN 1656 E M B
• [no photo yet]

Brooke, Elvathan

• Obverse: A fleur-de-lys and E B / ELVATHAN BROCKE E B
• Reverse: A fleur-de-lys and E B / IN DVBLINE 1657 E B
• [no photo yet]

Is the V on the obverse legend a misread or an N with a leg missing?

Brooking, William

• Obverse: 1d talbot facing left / WIL BROOKING OF
• Reverse:
• [no photo yet]

Browne, Ignatius

• Obverse: 1d surrounded by initials IBI / IGNATIUS BROWNE IN
• Reverse: A tankard separating the date 1671 / HIGH STRET DVBLIN PEVTR
• [no photo yet]

Carck, Symon

• Obverse: A wheatsheaf / SYMON CARCK
• Reverse: S C / IN BRIDG STRET DVBLIN S C
• [no photo yet]

Chesses, Richard

• Obverse: A sugarloaf, with a star on either side / RICHARD CHESSES
• Reverse: WARBERS SIV [M ]ARCH  / 1d IN CENTRE, surrounded by the initials DVB (Dublin)
• Photo

Cleere, James

• Obverse: [Unknown] / IAMES CLEERE IN
• Reverse: [Unknown] / BRIDG STREETE DVB
• [no photo yet]

Is James Cleere related to Edmond Clere, Merchant, Cooke Street ?

Source: Dublin Census, 1659

Colly, William

• Obverse: arms / WILLIAM COLLY IN
• Reverse: SKINNER ROW DVBLIN / 1d splitting the date 1666
• Photo

Cooke, John

• Obverse: A harp / IO COOK FRA BEALING
• Reverse: I C F B / OF DVBLIN I C F B
• [no photo yet]

Cooke, John

• Obverse: Arms of the Cooke family: ermine, on a chief a griffin passant / IOHN COOKE GROCER
• Reverse: DVBLIN / IN DAMAS STREET DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Cooke, John & Bealing, Francis

• Obverse: A harp (centre) / IO COOKE / FRA BEALING
• Reverse: Initials IC and FB (centre) / OF DUBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Cooke, Richard

• Obverse: A unicorn facing left (centre) / RICHARD COOKE OF
• Reverse:
• [no photo yet]

Craven, William

• Obverse: Two guns crossed / WI CRAVEN IN CHRIST
• Reverse: A leopard / CHVRCH YARD DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Delamain, Nicholas

• Obverse: A crescent / NIC DELAMAIN IN
• Reverse: A crescent / STONI BETER DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Delone, Nicholas

• Obverse: LAZEY HILL / NIC DELONE / 1d + initials ND and three rosettes
• Reverse: Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, with serpent wrapped around an apple tree
• Photo

Lazey Hill is a derivative of the original name “Lazer’s Hill” – the site of a leprosy hospital outside the walls of medieval Dublin. It treated those returning from the Crusades suffering from leprosy and anyone unfortunate enough to contract the disease locally.  It is thought to have occupied a site on the modern day Townsend Street.  

Desmenieres, John

• Obverse: Three sugar-loaves / IO DEMYNIERS DVBLIN
• Reverse: I I D / SVGAR LOFE BRIG STRE I I D
• [no photo yet]

Desmenieres, Lewis

• Obverse: An acorn on a branch / LEWIS DESMENIERES
• Reverse: L D M / MARCHANT IN DVBLIN L D M
• [no photo yet]

Dix, Martin

• Obverse: [Unknown] / MARTIN DIX IN
• Reverse: [Unknown] / CORNE MARKET DVB
• [no photo yet]

Elliott, Leonard

• Obverse: Eight small diamonds in the field, two, four, two / LEONARD ELLIOTT
• Reverse: 1657 / CASTLE HILL DVBLEN 1657
• [no photo yet]

Flood, John

• Obverse: [Unknown] / IO FLOOD HIGH STREET
• Reverse: [Unknown] / DVBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Forrist, John

• Obverse: Three castles, one and two / IOHN FORRIST AT THE
• Reverse: I A F / BRIDG FOOTE DVBLIN I A F
• [no photo yet]

Foxall, John

• Obverse: A fox passant / IOHN FOXALL AT YE SIGNE
• Reverse: I F / OF THE FOX IN DVBLIN I F
• [no photo yet]

Foxall, John

• Obverse: A fox passant / IOHN FOXALL AT THE SIGNE
• Reverse: I F / OF THE FOX IN DVBLIN I F
• Photo

Freeman, Robert

• Obverse: ROBERT FREEMAN IN / DVBLIN encircling + 1D (below)
• Reverse: ?
• Photo

French, Matthew

• Obverse: A dolphin and 1655 / MATHEW FRENCH IN 1655
• Reverse: A sugar-loaf and M F / HIGH STREET IN DVBLIN M F
• [no photo yet]

Greenwood, Richard

• Obverse: St Patrick cursing the snakes / RICHARD GREENWOOD IN
• Reverse: 1d + initials ‘RG’ in quarters / HIGH STRET DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

This is a very unusual coin insofar as it contains an image of St Patrick.  The only other tokens to have this this unusual imagery are the enigmatic St Patrick’s Farthings later on in the same century. I wonder if there is a link ???

G[   ]ns, James

• Obverse: ½d / FOR CHANGE & CHARITIE                            bimetallic
• Reverse: A castle + DVBLI (centre) / IAMES GR[   ]NS
• [no photo yet]

Halley, Roger

• Obverse: The Skinners’ Arms / ROGER HALLEY OF DVBLIN
• Reverse: IN SKINNER ROWE / ARTIZEN AND SKINNER IN SKINNER ROWE
• [no photo yet]

Harris, Edward

• Obverse: mortar & pestle / EDWARD HARRIS
• Reverse: 1d surrounded by flowers (centre) / IN COPPER ALLY DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Harris, Walter

• Obverse: W H 4 / WALTER HARRIS OF W H 4
• Reverse: A hen and chickens / DVBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Harvey, Arthur

• Obverse: Three rabbits feeding / ARTHVR HARVEY IN HIGH
• Reverse: A H 1656 / STREETE IN DVBLIN A H 1656
• [no photo yet]

Harvey, Arthur

• Obverse: Three rabbits feeding / ARTHER HARWIE
• Reverse: A H / IN DVBLIN 1653 A H
• [no photo yet]

Harvey, Arthur

• Obverse: Crown (centre) / ARTHER HARWIE IN
• Reverse: DVBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Hatfeild, Ridgley

• Obverse: Castle (centre) / RIDGLEY HATFEILD
• Reverse: 1d with the date 1654 underneath / IN DVBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Haynes, John

• Obverse: brass plug, blazing star (centre)  / JOHN HAYNES ON THE         bimetallic
• Reverse: A PENY TOK / KEY DVBLIN VINT
• [no photo yet]

This is a very unusual coin insofar as it contains a brass plug, designed to make the star look brighter than the dull copper around it.  The only other coins/tokens to have this this unusual (and expensive to manufacture) feature are the enigmatic St Patrick’s Halfpennies which may have been minted around about the same time. I wonder if there is a link ???

One of the questions asked of me is whether the St Patrick’s Halfpennies are tokens or coins?  Given that about 450 different die varieties have been identified and mintage estimates vary from 1.5 million to 7 million pieces – it would be grossly inaccurate to describe the St Patrick’s Halfpennies as part of the 17th tradesmens’ token series.

Hill, William

• Obverse: A monkey, with paws on pestle and mortar / WILL HILL SKENER ROW
• Reverse: 1656 / PESTELL AN MORTAR DVBLIN 1656
• [no photo yet]

Huchins, Robert

• Obverse: A swan / ROBERT HVCHINS
• Reverse: D / R H / I / SWAN BLIND KEY D / R H / I
• [no photo yet]

Hulme, William

• Obverse: Three mallets, one and two / WILLIAM HVLME IN
• Reverse: W E H / HIGH STREET DVBLIN W E H
• [no photo yet]

Johnson, Gilbert

• Obverse: G I / GILBERT IOHNSON IN G I
• Reverse: The Cordwainers’ Arms / ST THOMAS STREET DVB
• [no photo yet]

Kelly, Owen

• Obverse: Front of a temple (?) / OWEN KELLY IN 1666
• Reverse: O K / SKINERS ROW DVBLIN O K
• [no photo yet]

Lester, Randal

• Obverse: An Indian smoking a pipe / RANDAL LESTER
• Reverse: R R L 1655 / IN THOMAS STREET DVBLIN R R L 1655
• [no photo yet]

Lloyd, Andrew

• Obverse: The Weavers’ Arms / ANDREW LLOYD IN
• Reverse: A E LL / DVBLIN MARCHANT 58 A E LL
• [no photo yet]

Lowen, Thomas

• Obverse: A pair of scales / THO LOWEN
• Reverse: DVBLIN / IN PATRICK STREET DVBLIN
• Photo

Malborn, Ralph

• Obverse: 1d dividing two crescents (centre) / RALPH MALBORN
• Reverse: A hat (centre) / HABERDASHER DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Milles, William

• Obverse: 1d 1671 (centre) / WILLIAM MILLES
• Reverse: Woolpack (centre) / CLOTHIR HIGH STREET
• [no photo yet]

Mount, William

• Obverse: Arms + 1d (centre) / WILL MOUNT
• Reverse:  / CHVRCH YARD DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Moxon, John

• Obverse: IOHN MOXON IN ___ER / wheatsheaf
• Reverse: ROWE DVBLIN 1667 / 1d + initials IM separated by three stars
• Photo

Newman, Lionel

• Obverse: LIONELL NEWMAN 1664 / THE COFFEE HOVSE IN DVBLIN LIONELL NEWMAN 1664
• Reverse: A Turk’s head / MORAT
• [no photo yet]

Or…., Thomas

• Obverse: [Unknown] / THOMAS OR . . . .
• Reverse: [Unknown] / BRIDG FOOT DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Partington, Joseph

• Obverse: Arms (centre) / JO PARTINGTON GOVLDSME
• Reverse: 1d DVBLIN (centre) / KINGES HEAD SKINOR ROW
• [no photo yet]

Paston, William

• Obverse: mm. small rosette, WILLIAM (lozenge) [pa]STON, shield containing the Upholsterers arms
• Reverse: VPHOLSTER [—]BLIN, wbp, rosettes dividing initials IWP
• Photo

Puller, John

• Obverse: A bird (DVBLIN over) / FISHAMBLE STREET
• Reverse: 1d (a star on either side) / IOHN PVLLER
• Photo

Reynolds, Henry

• Obverse: Plough (centre) / HENRY REYNOLDS IN
• Reverse: 1d + initials HR (centre) / HIGH STREET DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Saltontone, Samuel

• Obverse: A winged female figure / SAMVEL SALTONSTONE
• Reverse: S S / IN DVBLIN MARCHANT S S
• [no photo yet]

Seawell, John

• Obverse:1d / IOHN SEAWELL BRASER
• Reverse: Stag (centre) / IN SKINER ROW DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Simkin, Richard

• Obverse: [Unknown] / RICH SIMKIN OF
• Reverse: [Unknown] / DVBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Smith, Jeremy & Bristow, Jeremy

• Obverse: A squirrel / IEREMY SMITH 1654
• Reverse: A squirrel # IEREMY BRISTOW DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Stokes, William

• Obverse: 1d dividing 4 crescents (centre) / WILLIAM STOKES HIGH STR
• Reverse: S 1671 WK / IN DVBLIN MARCHANT
• [no photo yet]

Sweetman, John

• Obverse: A dolphin / IOHN SWEETMAN IN
• Reverse: I S / DVBLIN CORNE MARKET I S
• [no photo yet]

A street known as Cornmarket still exists today and it first appears on Speed’s Map of Dublin in 1610 (see above). It is also known as High Street.

Tyler, Richard

• Obverse: Arms / RICH TYLE OF ST
• Reverse: DVBLIN / PATRICKS CLOSE DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

St Patrick’s Close does not appear on a map until 1678 – which is about the latest time this token could have been minted and circulated.

Usher, Arlenter

• Obverse: A V conjoined / ARLENTER VSHER IN FISH A V
• Reverse: A V conjoined / SHAMBLES STREET DVBLIN A V
• [no photo yet]

Usher, Arlenter

• Obverse: A V conjoined / ARLENTER VSHER FISH A V
• Reverse: A V conjoined / SHAMBLES STREET DVBLIN A V
• [no photo yet]

This street (Fishamble Street) first appears on a map of 1467 and is shown on Speed’s Map (above). Called Vicus Piscarorium and Vicus Piscariae in ancient documents, it also appears as Fish Street (1470) and Fisher Street (1570). The name dates back to 1410 (Cf Hughes’s St Johns, 15, 120 and Deputy Keeper’s Report, xxiii. 135).

Warren, Henry

• Obverse: IN DVBLIN / HENRY WARREN IN HIGH STREET IN DVBLIN
• Reverse: A coronet and feathers and H I W / H I W
• [no photo yet]

Warren, John

• Obverse: I C W / IOHN WARREN HIGH STREET I C W
• Reverse: Monogram of the issuer’s name / DVBLIN TALLOW CHANDLR
• [no photo yet]

Westenra, Warner

• Obverse: A ship / WARNAR WESTENRA
• Reverse: W W 1655 / IN DVBLIN MARCHANT W W 1655
• Photo

Weston, Samuel

• Obverse: A swan with a chain / SAMVELL WESTON
• Reverse: A dolphin and 1654 / MARCHANT IN DVBLIN 1654
• Photo

Wilson, Michael

• Obverse: HIS HALFPENNY 1672 / St George slaying the dragon
• Reverse: MIC WILSON OF DUBLIN / arms
• Photo

Yeates, Henry

• Obverse: Three gates, two and one / HENRY YEATES
• Reverse: Legend in the field / IN COPPER ALLY DVBLIN
• [no photo yet]

Copper Alley still exists today and is situated between Upper Exchange Street and the recently constructed Cow’s Lane – just outside the front gate of Dublin Castle. Originally known as Preston’s Inns, it is so-named after the copper money coined and distributed there in 1608 by Lady Alice Fenton, widow of Sir Geoffrey Fenton (Harris, History of Dublin, p.85 and Gilbert, History of Dublin, i.92). 

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DUBLIN COUNTY

MILLTOWN

Williamson mis-describes this token as Milltown, Co Dublin. Since then it has been ascribed to Milltown Pass, Co Westmeath.

TALLAGHT

Lloyd, Andrew

• Obverse: The Weavers’ Arms / ANDREW LLOYD IN
• Reverse: A E LL T C / DVBLIN MARCHANT 58 A E LL TALOVGH
• [no photo yet]

The TALOVGH and T C are countermarked on the reverse of Dublin token (Williamson 355) issued by Andrew Lloyd

In the 1650s Tallaght would have been a landscape in transition – many Catholic landowners were dispossessed for their part in the Great Rebellion of 1641 and their place was taken by Cromwellian soldiers and officers in payment for their services.  Some came to settle, some rented what they didn’t want to farm, whereas others sold their properties to the highest bidders – which usually weren’t the original owners or tenants.  The dispossessed were either transported to the West Indies, exiled to Connaught or disappeared into the Wicklow mountains where they, typically, became ‘tories’ – a name given to the various raiders, thieves and criminals from those parts by the citizens of Dublin and the Pale.

Andrew Lloyd’s token has links with the nearby City of Dublin which, in turn, had a strategic interest in Tallaght and its surrounding hinterland – given that it relied upon it for its ‘fresh’ water supply.

Nearby Old Bawn house was built in 1635 by Archdeacon William Bulkeley, son of Launcelot Bulkeley the Archbishop. It was almost unique in architectural style, being one of the first Irish houses that was not built purely for defence. Oldbawn had extensive pleasure gardens that survived, albeit in a neglected state, until 1900.

Old Bawn House was damaged in the rebellion of 1641 but was restored immediately at a cost of £3,000. The house was designed in a H shape with high pointed gables and had many windows and twelve chimneys which was unusual at that time. It had many interesting internal features such as the chimney piece and a carved oak staircase both of which are in the National Museum of Ireland in Kildare Street, Dublin. The chimney piece reached to the ceiling and apparantly depicted the building of the walls of Jerusalem, it was dated 1635.