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1793, Great Britain, Anglesey/Wilkinson. Mule Halfpenny "Druid" Token. Scarce!

Mint Year: 1793 Reference: DH 430a.  Condition: About XF! Denomination: 1/2 Penny Region: Anglesey/Wilkinson (mule!) Material: Copper Diameter: 28mm Weight: 8.34gm

Obverse: Druid's head left within wreath.

Reverse: Seated togate male person, hammering on anvil. Sailship in background. Legend: HALFPENNY Exergue: 1793

Edge: AN ASYLUM FOR THE OPPRESS'D OF ALL NATIONS · X ·

The Druid Tokens were made to facilitate the payment of the miners, thereby overcoming the dearth of small change experienced  throughout the country. Furthermore the sales of copper were beginning to decrease, and selling Druid tokens to other industrialists was a handy way for the Parys Mining Company to increase turnover.  A pleasing example struck from the copper of the Parys   Mine which, at the time, was the largest copper mine in Europe.

Parys Mountain – in the Welsh language Mynydd Parys – is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. Parys Mountain dominated the world's copper market during the 1780s, when the mine was the largest in Europe. Its rise severely damaged the mining industry in Cornwall. The copper from the mine was used to sheath the admiralty's wooden ships of war in order to prevent the growth of seaweed and barnacles and to prevent boring by worms. This increased the speed and  manoeuvrability of the vessels, although it is said that Parys Mountain  copper was also sold to the French for use by their fleet.