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that their issue was suppressed by the House of Commons, and 
the death of Charles, January 1649, effectually annulled all 
disputes which had arisen between the patentee’s of the Farthing 
Tokens, acting under license from the Crown, and the public. 
Immediately following this event, being freed from all restraint, 
Traders in all parts of the country commenced the issue of 
Tokens of copper or brass, the earliest date on any of these being 
1648, and between this date and 1672 (generally known as the 
17th Century period) enormous numbers of Tokens were put 
into circulation, mainly by private Traders, but many Corporations 
and various Churchwardens, Overseers and other officials also 
participated in this democratic currency. 
The Commonwealth authorities contemplated the issue of ‘a 
Copper coinage, and for this pattern pieces were struck, but no 
authorized issue took place. The numerous references to be 
found in the State Papers of that time show that the question of 
such issue was under frequent consideration by the State 
Council—as for instance — 
“4649. May 30. Council of State. The business of 
Farthing Tokens is to be considered to-morrow. 
Farthings ought to 
1650. Augg. A decision arrived at 
be issued. They should be struck by the Mint and be 
of full value.” 
In these papers references constantly recur as to the prevalent 
use throughout the Country of the Tokens issued by Traders and 
Corporations, complaints being frequent regarding them, and 
various proposals were made to prevent their circulation, but 
despite the many decisions of the Council as to the provision of 
a minor currency, nothing was done in this direction, until the 
reign of Charles II., when a Proclamation, dated August 16th, 
1672, forbade the use or issue of private Tokens, and contained 
provisions for making current his Majesty’s copper halfpence and 
farthings then issued. 
The Tokens of the 17th Century period were struck chiefly in 
