Obv: View of ancient gateway, JAS. CONDER. IPSWICH. 1795. (above), WOLYS. GATE in exergue. Rev: A cypher I M C, CONDER’S IPSWICH PENNY around, 1797 below. Edge: Plain.
Uncirculated with some red remaining. Choice with tiny reverse flaw and obverse die crack. Penny. Rare.
One of the rare Conder penny tokens. This private token shows all that remains of the Collegiate school founded by Wolsey in the 15th century, that being the gate. The cypher on the reverse is quite unusual in that the M stands for his wife’s name, Mary. This hearkens back to the tradition to include the wife’s first initial on most of the 17th century trade tokens along with the husband’s. This was Bell’s theory, and if correct, is the only occurrence that this happens on 18th century tokens.