1803 Token Pattern - J-C1803-1, Kettle

Coin Details

Auction Record

$881 • MS63 • 11-16-2012 • Stack's Bowers

Description

This is the quarter eagle ($2.50) denomination in the series of gaming tokens manufactured by Kettle & Sons of Birmingham, England. Struck in brass, the token features a Capped Bust Right Liberty portrait on the obverse that faithfully copies the design of contemporary American quarter eagles, with stars surrounding the bust and the date 1803 below. The reverse presents a heraldic eagle with shield, consistent with the Small Eagle or Heraldic Eagle reverse types used on US gold coinage of the period. The KETTLE maker's mark the right of the date on the obverse — an identifying feature that distinguishes these tokens from genuine US gold coins. Kettle & Sons operated from about 1781 through the 1810s, and their tokens are now regarded as the first known foreign-made copies of American gold coin designs. The quarter eagle token was designed to serve as a chip in English gaming houses, substituting for the actual gold coins in play. Varieties exist with both plain and reeded edges, and in both coin and medal turn orientations. These pieces were once included in the Judd reference on US pattern coinage as Appendix C entries, but have since been removed from more recent editions. They remain an important collecting area for specialists in early American numismatic Americana and the broader history of Anglo-American commercial relations.

Rarity Notes

R-6 (estimated 13-30 known). Available in brass, silvered brass, and gilt compositions. Reeded edge specimens appear to be scarcer than plain edge examples.

Cross References

Judd-C1803-1; Pollock-8001