Imitation Guineas and half Guineas are usually made of brass and may be gilt. They are frequently holed for wearing as jewelry and come in hundreds of varieties.Most were made in late Georgian to Victorian times but the dates on them are not reliable While they resemble genuine gold coins in some ways, they were probably not intended as counterfeits, although some were likely passed as coin of the realm from time to time. . |
Their main use was as gaming counters, like today's poker chips, and many carry political or advertising messages. The nearest to a standard reference for the series are articles by Hawkins in the British Numismatic Journal 1964 and 1965. I do not have this reference and would appreciate photocopies of the articles. There is also a 1997 reference by David Magnay A Catalogue of Advertising Imitation Spade Guineas and Half Guineas. [Thanks to Si Cordova for the references]. |
These tokens usually sell for $3 - $10 , depending on their condition and interest in the designs and legends. I do not know of anyone specializing in this series, but any token dealer listed on this website may have some in stock. |
