The Collection of British Tokens formed by John Rose

John Rose
John Rose, a familiar figure in the British token collecting fraternity for many years, first developed an interest in coins as a boy. One day in 1969, going through the trays of coins at Aladdins Cave, a shop in South Croydon, he found some tokens, including an example of the 1649 farthing issued at The Ship Inn, on the north corner of Lincoln’s Inn, London, his local pub when he first started work as a laboratory technician at the Royal College of Surgeons (see Lot 179).
The acquisition of this piece quickly fired his enthusiasm for tokens – not just those from Britain, but also issues from Canada, Ceylon and elsewhere in the colonies. John soon became a regular customer of the major London-based token dealers of the day, as well as a veritable roll-call of dealers active at the time of decimalisation – Stanmore’s Reg Lubbock, Harrow’s Ian Fine, Leytonstone’s Ken Lovell, Clive Sellen and Fred Hancock from the Arches at Charing Cross, Mike Millward (Stewart Ward) in Great Portland Street, and others – many of whom would take tables at the Sunday morning market in Cutler Street and, later on, the Saturday gatherings at Charing Cross.
Following a short spell in Carshalton, John moved to Manchester in 1977 to take up a position at the city’s Medical School. From his new base he continued to keep in touch with old friends and contacts in the south, while joining his local numismatic society and taking the opportunity to visit the many coin fairs taking place across the Pennines in Yorkshire.
John’s collection is broad in its scope, but understandably London-centric and particularly so for the 17th century series, which has remained his chief focus throughout his collecting years. Many important pieces are included in the 475 lots which follow, and one might instance a very recent purchase, a farthing of Richard Winsper from Lincoln’s Inn Gate (Lot 150), as being just one such. Apart from contributing notes on his new and unpublished acquisitions to the Token Corresponding Society’s Bulletin, John was an important contributor to Tim Everson’s recent standard reference on the Southwark series, and the Rose collection of Southwark will stand alongside those of Danehower and Hayward, also sold in these rooms in the last decade. The 18th century element of the collection includes some major rarities, notably a highly elusive Godington hop token (Lot 296) and several silver proofs. From the 19th century there is a superb example of John Robertson’s Newcastle-upon-Tyne halfcrown (Lot 421), and a rare ‘Chinaman’ halfcrown of Edward Wright of Birmingham (Lot 443).
P.J.P-M.
Collection Information
This collection was sold on 17 November 2020.
Other Collections Sold in 2020
- London 17th Century Tokens from the Collection of Quentin Archer
- British Tokens from the Collection formed by the late Jeffrey Gardiner
- English Coins from the Collection of the late Dr John Hulett
- The North Yorkshire Moors Collection of British Coins
- British Copper and Bronze Coins from the Collection formed by the late Hiram Brown
- Coins of Elizabeth I from the Collection Formed by Walter Wilkinson
- The David Kirch Collection of Jersey Paper Money
- A Collection of German Militaria
- The Collection of London 17th Century Tokens Formed by the Late Cole Danehower
- A Collection of Coins of the Indian Sultanates
- English and Anglo-Gallic Coins from the Michael Gietzelt Collection
- The Sutton Coldfield Collection of British Coins
- Charity Sale from the Archive of the AIB (formerly First Trust Bank)
- A Specialist Group of Milled Silver Coins
- Indian Coins from the Collection of the late John Roberts-Lewis
- Indian Coins from the Collection of John Rose
- Indian Historical Medals from the Collection formed by Michael Shaw
- The Yves Cataroche Collection of Guernsey Banknotes
- A Collection of Awards to the Q-Ship H.M.S. Penshurst
- A Collection of Army Gallantry Awards to the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, and the Royal Air Force
- A Collection of Waterloo Medals
- A Collection of Irish Coins, the Property of a Gentleman
- Irish Coins from the Michael Gietzelt Collection
- A Collection of Irish Historical Medals, the Property of a Gentleman
- The Brian Dawson Collection of British Tokens
- A Collection of Historical Medals, the property of a Gentleman
- A Collection of Medals formed by the Reverend Canon Nigel Nicholson, OStJ, DL
- A Collection of Police Medals
- The Collection of British Colonial Coins formed by the late John Roberts-Lewis
- The Antony Scammell Collection of British Coins
- A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals for the Relief of Ladysmith
- A Collection of 17th Century Tokens formed by a Gentleman Deceased
- Essex 18th Century Tokens from the Collection of the late Peter Spurdens
- Duplicate 19th Century Tokens from the Collection of the late Francis Cokayne
- The Malcolm Assistant Collection of Market Checks
- A Group of Tickets and Passes Related to Horse Racing
- Duplicate Southwark 17th Century Tokens from the Collection formed by the late Cole Danehower
- The Antony Scammell Collection of Roman Coins
- The Sarah Bernhardt Collection of Jewellery and Objects of Vertu
- The Culling Collection of Military Watches
- The Amherst Family Medals
- A Collection of Naval General Service Medals 1793-1840
- A Collection of Egypt and Sudan Medals for the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir
- A Collection of German Militaria
- An Interesting Collection of Bank of England Error Notes
- A Specialist Group of Milled Silver Coins
- A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals to the Royal Navy
- A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals for the Defence of Kimberley, Ladysmith and Mafeking
- A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals for the Relief of Mafeking and Kimberley
- A Small Collection of Medals to War Correspondents
- A Collection of South Atlantic Medals
- A Collection of Irish Tokens, Tickets and Passes, the Property of a Gentleman
- 18th Century Tokens from the Collection formed by the late David Barry Bailey
- Tickets and Passes of London from the David Young Collection
- Tokens of Cheshire and Lancashire from the Collection formed by Bob Lyall
- The Chislehurst Collection
- The Jack Webb Collection of Medals and Militaria
- A Specialist Group of Milled Bronze Coins
- The Collection of Scottish Coins formed by Michael Gietzelt
- A Fine Collection of Medals to the South Wales Borderers
- A Collection of Egypt and Sudan Medals to the Royal Navy
- The Maclaine Family Medals
- A Collection of Rupees of British India
- The Collection of British Tokens formed by John Rose
- Medals from the Collection of Warwick Cary
- A Collection of Egypt and Sudan Medals 1882-89
- A Remarkable Collection of Bank of England Errors
- A Collection of Medals to the Gloucestershire Regiment
- British Coins from the Collection of a Decorated Korean War Veteran
- A Collection of French Historical Medals, the Property of a Gentleman
- A Collection of Medals to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers
- The Collection of 17th Century Tokens formed by the late Robert Thompson
- Sussex Tokens, Tickets and Medals from the Collection formed by the late Ron Kerridge
- A Collection of British Historical Medals, the Property of a Gentleman
- Golfing Medals, the Property of Gary Alliss
- A Collection of Medals and Coins of Edward VIII
- A Collection of Medals to the Norfolk Regiment
- Medals from the Collection of the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum
- A Collection of Queen’s South Africa Medals to the Royal Navy
- English Coins from the Collection of the late Peter Spurdens
- The Don Kenefick Collection of Historical Medals
- The ‘Boys at the Lake’ Collection of Durand’s Famous People of the World Medals
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