1796 Great Brittan D&H 837 ½ P Middlesex Spence’s Token NGC MS63 Thomas Spence was an English coin, book, and print dealer who was an advocate for human rights. He was a radical democrat who believed in the common ownership of land. Many of his tokens were anti-royalist. He was strongly influenced by the writings of Thomas Paine. In 1792 Spence moved to London where he attempted to make a living selling Paine’s Rights of Man. He was arrested several times for his views. In the early 1800 he was the unofficial leader of those radicals who advocated revolution. He was tried again in 1808, one of eighteen radical journalists. He died in 1814, but a group of his followers pledged to keep his ideas alive. They formed the Society of Spencean Philanthropists.

This token, which is struck in brass, shows three men who have been hanged on a gibbet. The ironic inscription NOTED ADVOCATES FOR THE RIGHTS OF MEN surrounds them with 1796 below. The reverse message is A WAY TO PREVENT KNAVES GETTING A TRICK. The token, which is graded MS63 shows no wear. A stain on the upper obverse field and one on the lower left reverse probably keep it from a higher mint state grade. The strike is full and sharp with every facial feature on the obverse and letter on the reverse visible.

Thomas Paine tokens are hot ! They are political and historical. In "A Guide Book of United States Tokens and Medals," we find anti-Paine and pro-Paine tokens were very popular here in the U.S. in the 1790s. Jaeger writes anti-Paine tokens were imported by such fellows as John Adams and Alexander Hamilton "to carry as pocket pieces." On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson and George Clinton carried pro-Paine tokens, according to the author.