Communion Tokens. 51 



mystic concentric parallel circles rising from central hollow to rim 

 in the token of GATESHEAD Presbyterian Church, lgl8. 

 These, with innumerable commonplaces thrown in between, lie in 

 close proximity, and are selected at random from the pages of 

 Mr Brook and Mr Dick, or from the trays of a moderate-sized 

 collection. Clever hand-tooling is seen on the GIRTHOX token, 

 dated 1794. Here the workman has been a man of no mean 

 skill. On the writer's tray is one of this type in which the artist 

 has been interrupted in his work, for it bears only the letters W T 

 engraved, with unfinished star between, without date or anything 

 on the obverse. Perhaps the most interesting piece from the 

 point of view of symbolism is KIRKCOWAN, 1742. The man 

 who made this token was a scholar, or had a scholar at his elbow. 



•^ 



KIRKCOWAN KlRKCO\A/AN 



On the obverse is accurately and skilfully reproduced the Hebrew 

 word n 1 s" " oth " or " token " (Exodus xii, 13), the Old Testa- 

 ment " Blood-token '' of the Passover. On the reverse is a T for 

 token, and a heart, the "Love-token " of the New Testament 

 Passover. Doubtless the designer of this piece was the cultured 

 minister, the Rev. James M'Clellan, A.M. (1719-1743), who 

 would not fail to instruct communicants on the complete uature 

 of the symbolism borne by the leaden passport which was to 

 admit them to the Lord's Table. Devotees of this cult must 

 have noticed that almost more than those of any other district the 

 Dumfriesshire tokens conform to the severest and least ornate 

 types. Conventional squares and circles, and the more modern 

 ovals and oblongs with cut and uncut corners make up the Dum- 

 friesshire tray. Octagons at LANGHOLM and CANONBIE, 

 and three shapeless octagons at DUMFRIES, are barely suffi- 

 cient to redeem the charge. No, not even when to these are 

 added the Communion tables of LOCHMABEN and APPLE- 

 GARTH, or the characteristic design of the eccentric incumbent 

 of ST. MUNGO, or the pentacle-token of Dr Henry Duncan at 



