Obv: Three-quarter bust of Thomas Hardy, THOS HARDY SECRETARY TO THE LONDON CORRESPONDING SOC.y NOT GUILTY NOVr 5. 1794, in legend around. Rev: A column of twelve names, THOS. BUCK, THOS. WOOD., Wm. FRAZER, ADAM STAINMETZ, JOHN CONNOP., JOHN MERCER., THOS. SAYER., RICHd. CARTER, NATl. STONARD., JOSH. NICOL., CHARRINGTON AINSLEY, with the legend around reading, BY THE INTEGRITY OF HIS JURY WHO ARE JUDGES OF LAW AS WELL AS FACT.
NGC MS65BN (Cert. # 2943291-001). Brilliant Gem. It’s not often that you can say a copper coin has Rainbow toning on original surfaces, but this is the rare exception. Proof-like and Choice. Ex. Bobbe. Ex. Cory Collins. This is the example that hammered at £700 (over $1100 with fees) in the ’24 Baldwins auction of British Tokens, Lot #70. If you were the under-bidder, this is your chance to buy at $950.
Thomas Hardy was the secretary of the London Corresponding Society, the secretive group dedicated to parliamentary reform. His eight-day trial ended with his acquittal, “Not Guilty of High Treason”. He was famously defended by Erskine & Gibbs. Despite this notoriety, Hardy was simply a shoemaker who had a shop in Piccadilly, London. At Hardy’s funeral, there were 20-30,000 people in attendance.