Macclesfield - Roe & Co. - Museum Gallery

April 2024

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What evidence that exists indicates that this type of token for Roe and Company of Macclesfield, Cheshire 1789, is the 1st coin ever struck using Steam powered minting equipment! That makes this piece historically representative of the Industrial Revolution. These, naturally, were accomplished by Matthew Boulton at his Soho mint in Birmingham England, using steam engines designed by James Watt. This and the Cronebane issue, illustrated here also, were Boultons' first coining efforts after the conventional minting of the Sumatra Kepings of 1786 & 1787.
The blank planchets, with edge lettering applied, were supplied by John Westwood. Therefore Boulton was acting as a subcontractor for Westwood who supplied the 14 tons of copper for the Macclesfield and Cronebane tokens. These were minted before the full automated process of using collars and ejection systems had been devised (1791, see Anglesey).
Mintage figures are unknown for this token but estimates vary from 103K to 600K - 700K, with the latter estimate probably close to correct.
Obverse (reversed in photo): Bees and beehive with cypher (R&Co.); MACCLESFIELD.
Reverse: Female (representing industry) holding a cogwheel with 8 spokes; 11 threads on auger screw; HALFPENNY 1789. I believe DH9, with 6 spokes on the cogwheel and 10 threads on the auger screw is the rare, and first variety, minted by Boulton. This example is a later DH11 variety with right hand bee between E & L.
Edge: PAYABLE AT MACCLESFIELD LIVERPOOL OR CONGLETON.X.