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Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
A trade token penny issued by Thomas Wynne, a surgeon in Caerwys, Flintshire, in 1669. The obverse shows his and his wife's initials and the value (1 penny). The reverse depicts dental forceps, an apron or towel, and two molar teeth. The inscription describes Wynne as a Chyrurgeon, an archaic word for a doctor or surgeon.
Trade tokens were issued by tradespeople across England and Wales in the late-17th century in response to a shortage of official small denomination coins. They were given to customers as small change. The tokens encouraged repeat custom, because typically they were only redeemable at the business that issued them. Issuers saw their potential as advertising and many tokens have designs clearly indicating the issuers' trades.
