The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 9, March 4, 2007, Article 13

RALEIGH PLANTATION TOKEN INFORMATION

Responding to Jim Jones' questions, Bob Leonard writes: "In my opinion
the 'Raleigh Plantation Token' has no connection to Sir Walter Raleigh
whatever, but is a commentary on the shortness of human life; i.e., it
shows a boy leaning on a skull.  The appearance of this design in early
17th century emblem books, as reported by William Nipper and Michael
Hodder, confirms this--these emblem books illustrate many similar
aphorisms and gems of wisdom.

"So far as "pre-2000" auctions are concerned, I would suppose that the
Jules Fonrobert sale of February 18, 1878, would be the first to catalog
this item separately.  Jules Fonrobert was one of the great collectors
of American coins in the 19th century; I provided an extensive numismatic
biography of him in California Pioneer Fractional Gold, 2nd ed. (2003),
p. 81, since small California gold was one of his specialties.  Because
the Fonrobert catalog is rare (and printed on highly acid paper, which
crumbles at a touch), I quote the actual description, in the original
German:

 "North Carolina, Staat.

 Carl II.
 1660-1685.

 (cut of token)

 3728. Gelbk. Token (auf den Beginn der Colonisation unter Sir Walter
 Raleigh, o.J. (um 1660?)  Ein, linkshin unter Baume am Wasser lagernder
 Knabe, stuezt mit Rechten das Haupt und haelt die Linke auf einin
 Todtenkopt, der link Fuss beruehrt einen Rosenstrauch, im Hintergrunde
 die Umrisse eines Blockhauses (!)  Rf. (Umschrift o. b.) AS * SOONE * AS
 * WEE * TO * BEE * BEGVNN:* | *WE. DID. BEGIN. To. BE. VNDONN:.:. | Im
 Linienkreise eine grosse, gestielte Rose mit 2 Blaettern.  28 mlm. E
 (superscript) 2 (war versilbert)"  (p. 336)

"Unfortunately, Jim Duncan's helpful chart of keying in accents does
not work with my email system, so I have substituted ue and ae for the
letters with umlauts.  Also, Adolf Weyl's typography reproduces the
characters of the original better than I am able to with a single font.
Gelbk. = gilt copper; mlm = millimeters diameter; E (superscript) 2 =
Very Fine.

"My transcription is correct; a close parenthesis is missing in the
first line.  The illustration of the token shows the snake and is
different from that in Betts.  I have been unable to discover who
purchased ANY of the items in the Fonrobert collection.

"This token illustrates my pet peeve about the American Colonial
series; it was defined in the 19th century, and later authors have
simply copied the first material published without doing any original
work of their own.

"Fonrobert, who had more money than sense, was sold a bill of goods
on this jeton, and it has coasted along as the "Raleigh Plantation
Token" ever since, though with (understandably) grave reservations.

"Likewise, the Franklin Press token, with its dubious reference to
Benjamin Franklin, is admitted, while the extensive pro- and anti-Thomas
Paine series is excluded.  Coins of metropolitan France which circulated
in the New World are included, but the huge issues of the Spanish
American mints--the actual everyday money of the Colonies--are left
out.  And don't get me started on cut money!"

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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