This is a fascinating survival from the reign of Charles II. In the 1660s, a chronic shortage of official small change forced local merchants to strike their own low-denomination currency. This specific copper farthing was issued by William Pearson, a prominent grocer in Ross-on-Wye, to facilitate daily trade in the Herefordshire market town during the Stuart period.
Item Details
• Issuer: William Pearson (and wife, Dorothy)
• Obverse: A central shield depicting the Arms of the Grocers' Company (a chevron between nine cloves). Surrounded by the legend: WILLIAM . PEARSON . OF
• Reverse: The central initials WVP arranged in a triangle. The "P" represents the surname (Pearson), while the "W" and "V" (interchangeable with "U") represent the husband and wife. Surrounded by the legend: ROSSE . IN . HEREFORD . SHIRE
• Diameter: Approx. 16mm
• Composition: Copper Alloy
Condition Report
• Legibility: Good for its age. The issuer's surname "PEARSON" and the town "ROSSE" are clearly readable.
• Shield Detail: The heraldic shield of the Grocers' Company is well-centered with the chevron and cloves still identifiable.
• Patina: Features an authentic, dark chocolate-brown patina consistent with a 17th-century find.
• Surface: The metal is stable with honest wear from circulation in the 1600s.
Collector's Perspective
Trade tokens from Ross-on-Wye are highly localized and much scarcer than the prolific issues of London or Bristol. This piece is particularly desirable for:
1. Herefordshire Specialists: A classic example of 17th-century Ross-on-Wye exonumia.
2. Trade Guild Historians: An excellent representative of the Grocers' Company influence in regional trade.
3. Genealogists: Directly linked to the Pearson family of Herefordshire, active during the Restoration.