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The Aluminium Crown Metal Co Token, circa 1885


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DSCF1141-horz_zps5d34c91c.jpgObv. WEBSTER'S PATENT ALUMINIUM METALS * below a tiny W.J.T. LONDON / TRADE (A phoenix rising from a flaming crucible) MARK

Rev. HEAD OFFICE 34 LEADENHALL St. LONDON, E.C.

30mm by William Joseph Taylor for James Webster's Aluminium Crown Metal Co..

 

Hardly any info regarding this token is available on the web but here is what I have deduced so far;

 

It is undated but it was first issued no earlier than 1882 or no later than 1887. 1 January 1882 Webster's Patent Aluminium Crown Metal Company formed with its head office at 34 Leadenhall street, though Webster had been producing & stockpiling aluminium for many years before that company was formed. Then in 1887 the Aluminium Crown Metal Co. was taken over & became a part of a newly formed enterprise, The Aluminium Company Ltd located in the leasehold Warehouse & Showrooms, 34 St. Mary Axe London, E.C. and the obverse was then paired with a reverse reflecting the new address.

 

1886

"In England the Aluminium Crown Metal Co. has for the past three or four years been turning out large quantities of aluminium alloys based on the price of $14.60 per pound for the aluminium in them. Even at the high prices charged, these Webster alloys have attained a great popularity, and are replacing German silver, brass, bronze, etc. Aluminium added to any of the common alloys, such as brass, German silver, or Britannia metal, adds greatly to all their desirable qualities"

 

I purposely omitted mentioning what metal it was made of(as to me this what makes it so special) but I think that it was struck from one of James Webster's own patent metals, which I believe was in this case an alloy of aluminium & German silver/nickle silver, or perhaps aluminium alloyed with Britannia metal. The crucible & phoenix trademark represents the new metal alloys containing aluminium which Webster had patented.

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Checking google maps both streets still exist today, St. Mary Axe in fact runs off of Leadenhall street at a T-junction, so as far as I know the newly formed company did actually relocated head office, though the same street # (34) is quite a coincidence!

 

In the announcement for the subscription of shares for the new company 34 Leadenhall St. is shown as the address of one of the new companies directors and later in the same announcement 34 St. Mary Axe is mentioned as one of the properties the company will acquire, which strongly suggests they are two diferent locations.

 

Either way at least the address change enables us to give quite an accurate date to these tokens, as up to 1887 all references use Leadenhall Street & from that date St Mary Axe is used.

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  • 1 year later...
DSCF3031-horz.jpg
This is interesting, brought over eBay(did not read all the blurb), what sold me on it at first sight was the condition but then on a second look the variation in the '3' made it a must have.
Taking the photos I had a very pleasant surprise.......apart from the raised edge & beading.....all the reverse was all incused!
I looked at the sellers listing again, and he had stated that fact, but it was not apparent from his picture. When you first see the picture above it does look incused but quickly the letters looked raised, try looking away for a few seconds then look again, it should appear incused for a second or two.
Try this link
Pat

 

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