T. PARKER NORWICH TOKEN ATTRIBUTED TO ENGLAND

In the fourth edition of the Standard Catalog of United States Tokens 1700-1900, Russell Rulau attributes a token inscribed T. PARKER NORWICH to Norwich, Connecticut. I am working with a collection that has one of these tokens, and also has a similar token inscribed G. BAGSHAW NORWICH.

In his listing, Rulau writes: “This token has long been thought to be English, but is now restored tentatively to the USMT section. A fine specimen realized only $9 in the 1995 [Kirtley] sale, possibly because it was not recognized as American. L.B. Fauver strongly disagrees, saying it is English.”

Today, given the appearance of two similar tokens, I must also disagree with Rulau, and agree with Fauver. The names of Parker and Bagshaw both appear in Francis White’s   History, Gazetteer, and Directory, of Norfolk, and the City and County of the City of Norwich … that was published in Sheffield, England in 1854.

G. Bagshaw appears on page 147 as a fishmonger and Thomas Parker appears on page 190 of the same directory, also as a fishmonger. There is no doubt in my mind that these tokens should be correctly recognized as English tokens.

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