inglese

[euenigma]

mm. 22

gmm. 2

bronzo rame?

[Arminius]

Great Britain, 'To Hanover' counter,

Token

Obv.: head of Queen Victoria left.

Rev.: TO HANOVER , a crowned horseman accompanied by a three-headed dragon.

.

In the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries many coin-like objects were produced to serve as gambling counters or gaming pieces, to keep score or act as tokens during card games and other games of chance.

These pieces were normally made of brass and can also be distinguished by their inscriptions, which were usually versions of those used on the original coin, but bungled and with incorrect dates. Most were manufactured in Birmingham.

A piece surviving in large numbers is the 'To Hanover' counter, a copy of the gold sovereign of Queen Victoria, but with the reverse design of St George and the dragon replaced by a crowned horseman accompanied by a three-headed dragon, with the legend: TO HANOVER and the date 1837 (though many had later dates instead). This was originally a satirical piece commemorating the departure of Victoria's uncle, the unpopular duke of Cumberland, to become king of Hanover on the death of William IV. (Victoria could not inherit Hanover as German law did not permit female succession.) These pieces continued to be produced in large numbers well after they ceased to be topical, and took on the role of gaming counters. They were also sometimes passed off as coins. Their manufacture thereby incurred the hostility of the authorities and was made illegal in 1883.

Most 'To Hanover' counters depict Queen Victoria on the obverse. Victoria became Queen of Great Britain in 1837, but because she was a woman she could not become King of Hanover like her predecessors had also been. Her unpopular uncle the Duke of Cumberland went off to Hanover instead, and these counters celebrate his departure. They were made for over 30 years, mainly in Birmingham. In 1871 a new design was introduced on the gold sovereign which closely resembled the To Hanover pieces. Unscrupulous people began to pass the counters as gold coins and their production became illegal under the Counterfeit Medal Act of 1883.

Saluto

[luke_idk]

Interesting story. :)

[Exergus]

Great Britain, 'To Hanover' counter,

Token

Obv.: head of Queen Victoria left.

Rev.: TO HANOVER , a crowned horseman accompanied by a three-headed dragon.

...

Scusate se mi intrometto in un argomento a me estraneo, però mi sembra che la descrizione del verso, a parte la legenda TO HANOVER, non corrisponda al gettone postato da Euenigma.

La figura non è coronata, indossa un elmo con piuma e trafigge con una lancia il drago, che ha una testa sola e non tre. In definitiva mi sembra che sia, benchè differente nello stile, l'esatta iconografia di S.Giorgio e il drago, presente sulle sovrane.

saluti, Exergus