Obv: Bust of Spence, T. SPENCE 7 MONTHS IMPRISOND FOR HIGH TREASON around. Rev: Heart in hand, HONOUR above, laurel wreath around, JAMES below. Edge: Plain.
Extremely Fine and Choice brown. Some light contact marks.
Known as the first socialist, Thomas Spence was a thorn in the side of the crown during his time. His shop, ‘The Hive of Liberty’, was the source of his publication, ‘Pig’s Meat, or Lessons for the Swinish Multitude, Collected by the Poor Man’s Advocate’. After he declared bankruptcy, he sold his dies to Peter Skidmore, who would proceed to mule his dies with others, creating a whole different take on Spence’s dies. Bell notes that the heart in hand suggests that Fox devoted his heart and his hand to the cause of rebellion and anti-royalist sentiment.