1790 Kentucky Half Penny Token - Bedworth Edge

Coin Details

Description

Carrying a Bedworth edge inscription that identifies its manufacture at or in association with a mint in Bedworth, Warwickshire, England, this Kentucky token is cataloged as Whitman 8600. The edge inscription linking the piece to Bedworth provides a rare attribution clue for a series of tokens typically assigned only to "English manufacture" without further specificity. Bedworth, a small town near Coventry, was home to metalworking operations during the late eighteenth century, and the edge inscription connects this particular striking to that locale. The obverse displays a hand extending from clouds holding a scroll inscribed OUR CAUSE IS JUST above a star pattern, while the reverse features the motto UNANIMITY IS THE STRENGTH OF SOCIETY surrounding a central star design. Kentucky tokens were produced in England for circulation in America, capitalizing on the public interest surrounding Kentucky's anticipated statehood (achieved June 1, 1792) and the ever-present demand for small-denomination copper. Struck in copper with specifications consistent with other Kentucky token varieties. Classified as a scarce edge variety, the Bedworth edge attribution makes this piece particularly significant for researchers studying the production networks of late-eighteenth-century English token manufacturers. Most Kentucky tokens are attributed generically to Birmingham production, so the Bedworth edge inscription provides a specific geographic data point that enriches understanding of the dispersed manufacturing landscape that supplied tokens to American markets during this period.

Rarity Notes

Scarce edge variety.

Cross References

Whitman 8600