Colchester (Essex) 1794 Charles Heaths Conder 1/2 Penny - D&H#10
Offered is a charming 1794 Conder Halfpenny, issued by Bay-maker Charles Heath of Colechester (Essex), D&H#10. This piece depicts Colechester castle as well as a Bay loom, and retains good detail for a circulated example. This piece features the revised obverse, as the initial obverse die failed quite early in production, leaving most extant examples of D&H#9 with a substantial fault across the design. For his part, Charles Heath, (1752 - around 1832) initially apprenticed as a baker, ultimately working in the linen trade as a bay maker in Colchester.
Bay was a ‘light, thin woollen fabric, and was not regarded technically as a cloth’ (Laver, p47). Colechester Bay was usually white or red, and had been produced locally on a large scale since it was introduced to the area by Dutch refugees in 1571. The industry was already in decline by the 1720s, but (somewhat ironically considering the date and inscription on this token) met its final death knoll during the Napoleonic Wars, when export markets were severely disrupted. By 1800, the production of Bay in Colechester had all but disappeared (Laver, p.48).
In all, a fascinating piece of commercial history.
Laver, H. (1907). The last days of bay-making in Colchester.. Essex Archaeol Soc Trans N.S. 10. Vol 10, pp. 47-54.
Offered is a charming 1794 Conder Halfpenny, issued by Bay-maker Charles Heath of Colechester (Essex), D&H#10. This piece depicts Colechester castle as well as a Bay loom, and retains good detail for a circulated example. This piece features the revised obverse, as the initial obverse die failed quite early in production, leaving most extant examples of D&H#9 with a substantial fault across the design. For his part, Charles Heath, (1752 - around 1832) initially apprenticed as a baker, ultimately working in the linen trade as a bay maker in Colchester.
Bay was a ‘light, thin woollen fabric, and was not regarded technically as a cloth’ (Laver, p47). Colechester Bay was usually white or red, and had been produced locally on a large scale since it was introduced to the area by Dutch refugees in 1571. The industry was already in decline by the 1720s, but (somewhat ironically considering the date and inscription on this token) met its final death knoll during the Napoleonic Wars, when export markets were severely disrupted. By 1800, the production of Bay in Colechester had all but disappeared (Laver, p.48).
In all, a fascinating piece of commercial history.
Laver, H. (1907). The last days of bay-making in Colchester.. Essex Archaeol Soc Trans N.S. 10. Vol 10, pp. 47-54.
Offered is a charming 1794 Conder Halfpenny, issued by Bay-maker Charles Heath of Colechester (Essex), D&H#10. This piece depicts Colechester castle as well as a Bay loom, and retains good detail for a circulated example. This piece features the revised obverse, as the initial obverse die failed quite early in production, leaving most extant examples of D&H#9 with a substantial fault across the design. For his part, Charles Heath, (1752 - around 1832) initially apprenticed as a baker, ultimately working in the linen trade as a bay maker in Colchester.
Bay was a ‘light, thin woollen fabric, and was not regarded technically as a cloth’ (Laver, p47). Colechester Bay was usually white or red, and had been produced locally on a large scale since it was introduced to the area by Dutch refugees in 1571. The industry was already in decline by the 1720s, but (somewhat ironically considering the date and inscription on this token) met its final death knoll during the Napoleonic Wars, when export markets were severely disrupted. By 1800, the production of Bay in Colechester had all but disappeared (Laver, p.48).
In all, a fascinating piece of commercial history.
Laver, H. (1907). The last days of bay-making in Colchester.. Essex Archaeol Soc Trans N.S. 10. Vol 10, pp. 47-54.