BOOK REVIEW: BRITISH AND IRISH COPPER TOKENS OF 1787 – 1804

A cover-to-cover read of British and Irish Tradesmen and their Copper Tokens of 1787-1804 displays the herculean effort of Jon Lusk to produce this volume. Throughout his book, Lusk’s goal was to sort authentic tradesmen’s tokens from specialized pieces made for collectors. I was in awe of his visits to cities and towns all over England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, where these Provincial tokens were manufactured. He wrestled with the inconsistencies of local records, ancestral trees and cemetery findings to conduct his research. He also did token researchers a favor by correcting and updating inaccuracies in R.C. Bell’s Commercial Coins 1787-1804, published in 1963. In addition, he is careful to point out that Conder token research is ongoing, aware that future discoveries may update or alter his own findings.

Along with more tantalizing specifics about each token covered in the book, Lusk brings to life the token issuers and their family members, who faced both hardships and successes.

This book has marvelous obverse, reverse and edge images of tokens accompanied by his expert analysis. Although the text could have benefited from a bit more copyediting prior to publication, Lusk’s thoroughness with investigating his subject matter is impressive.

Intriguing indices are used by the author to close his work. Highlights include the ten categories he used to assess and classify tokens, a fascinating list of occupations held by token makers, a set of unanswered questions after his six years of research on these copper delicacies, and an appendix entitled Rejected Tokens, which explains his rationale for tokens excluded from the volume, including those of a political nature. Too bad, because I am quite fond of Thomas Spence’s political tokens! Another helpful appendix discusses flaws in D&H token classifications.

Lusk deserves a gold medal for assembling this volume. The amount of time he spent researching, traveling, writing, editing and seeing this work through production is truly astonishing. I highly recommend this book as a welcome and valuable contribution to numismatists who love researching and collecting British Provincial tokens.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: BRITISH AND IRISH COPPER TOKENS OF 1787 – 1804 (https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v17n24a04.html)

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