Guernsey & Sark Tokens
including spurious tokens of the
Channel Islands occupation 1940-45

Compiled by Steven Gibbs   - your contact in Guernsey

Guernsey Tokens

Rose type by Colas Guillemotte
Maille, enseign de pallyn, 16th Century

    Latten (60% copper, 30% zinc, 10% lead), 12mm
Until specimens were found during excavation at Castle
Cornet 1981-92, this piece was known only from a
Royal Court of Guernsey Ordinance of 1553/4.
References:
McCammon, 1984, p.104;
Barton, K. J., 2003, The Archaeology of Castle Cornet,
 St Peter Port, Guernsey, ISBN 1-871560-04-7, pp.220-3.

Bishop de Jersey & Co., Bank of Guernsey
Token of Five Shillings 1809

    McCammon T1, silver, 42mm
Soon after initial issue the token was declared
illegal and it ceased circulating in Guernsey.  This
piece showns some wear so it might subsequently
have been used elsewhere as bullion.

	C3G       G. Brennan - Half Pint
Image courtesy Denis McAllister.
	C8G       H. Brenton - Bottle    brass 28.6mm; rev: a circle, beading
	C9G       H. Brenton - Pint    brass 25.65mm; rev: a circle, beading
	C10G      H. Brenton - ½ Pint    brass 22mm; rev: a circle, beading
	C11G(i)   Caves de Bordeaux, Auguste Bulteau    brass 31mm; rev: plain, fine beading
	C12G      A. Bulteau, Caves de Bordeaux, ½    copper-nickel 26mm; rev: plain, fine beading
	C14G(iii) Caves de Bordeaux, Bertin Feuillerat    brass 30mm; rev: fine beading
	C14G(v)   Caves de Bordeaux, Bertin Feuillerat    copper-nickel 30mm; rev: coarse beading
	C51G      St Julien's Club, 1    brass 23.5mm
	C52G(ii)  Sarnian Club, 1    brass 19.7mm
	C53G      Sarnian Club, 2D    brass 27mm
	C54G(i)   Sarnian Club, 3    brass 27.2mm
	C67G      Paris House, Dumeraille & Rouly    brass 22.7mm
	C75G      G. Hamon & Co., 2/-    brass 25.2mm, with incuse '2/-'; rev: a circle, beading

Above images C8G - C75G courtesy Gary Blampied;
click any of these for a full-resolution 300-dpi scan.
Click here to visit a page featuring scarce Guernsey
coins & tokens from Gary's collection.

	* L.S.MARMAIN * GUERNSEY    WEST END SPIRIT STORES   copper 29mm
This piece is not listed by McCammon. Image courtesy Frank Gorsler. The business continues to trade, presently as the West End Bar, Mansell Street, St Peter Port.

This is NOT from the Island of Guernsey!

Dinsmore Dairy    Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Advertising checks

    C64G aluminium 30.75mm
    C63G brass 30.75mm
These advertising checks were distributed prior
to decimalization in 1971.  They did not circulate.
These images courtesy Henk van den Hombergh.

Imitation Double coins
- for tourists

	C91G   Imitation 1 double, enamelled   brass 18.9mm; rev: 1 DOUBLE 1877
	C93G   Imitation 1 double, 1877   brass, 19.2mm
Above two images courtesy Gary Blampied
	Imitation 1 double, 2001   gold 4.0gm, 18.93mm,   produced by the Guernsey Mint

Please email me if you are able to furnish images of any Guernsey tokens?

Sark Tokens

	SCBI 6367, cast copper,   19.7/20mm 6.05gm
Images courtesy Paul Withers of Galata Coins. Click an image to view a high resolution scan.	SCBI 6366, struck on cast copper planchet,   22.8/25.3mm 7.75gm

These pieces have recently been attributed to
Amice de Carteret, Deputy Seigneur of Sark 1594-1601,
on the basis of an heraldic argument.  Evidence of
circulation on Sark is lacking.
References:
Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles, 49, (1999);
Thompson, Journal of the Society of Antiquaries, (1999).

Spurious tokens of the Channel Islands
occupation 1940-45

Said to have been concocted in California c.1970

References:
McCammon, Currencies of the Anglo-Norman Isles, p.166, (1984);
McCammon, Currencies of the Anglo-Norman Isles ii, Supplement, pp.82-83, (1993);
Australian Numismatic Journal, vol.34, pp.9-14, (1983);
Coin News, Vol.34, No.8, pp.27-28, (August, 1997);
TAMS Journal (Token and Medal Society), Vol. 24 No. 2, pp.61-62, (April 1984).

All these pieces are uniface:

    C121CI brass, 27.8mm
Above image courtesy Jim Cassidy.

    C122J brass, 38.9mm
Above image courtesy Adrian Butler.

    C123G(i) brass, 27.7×39.5mm
Above image courtesy Andrew Sound.

    C123G(ii) zinc, 27.7×39.5mm
    C124G zinc, 32.35mm
Above 2 images courtesy Henk van den Hombergh.

    C125J brass, 40.9mm
Above image courtesy Phil Finkle.

    C126J brass, 35.3mm
Although listed by McCammon as brass, the
piece above is reported to be cast copper.
Image courtesy Wake Forest Coins.
George Rogers, Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA.

    C126J brass, 35.3mm
The 'T' perforation is not mentioned by
McCammon, so possibly this is a variety.
Above image courtesy Henk van den Hombergh.

    C127J(i) brass, 35.3mm
Above image courtesy Andrew Sound

    (C127J copper), 35.3mm
Copper, is not mentioned by McCammon,
so possibly this is a variety.
Above image courtesy Jim Cassidy

    C127J(ii) brass, 35.3mm
Above image courtesy Warren E Booth

    C128J brass, 35.3mm
Above image courtesy Michael Freeman

    C129J brass, 35.4mm
    C130J zinc, 63.45×33.25mm
The design depicts a bomb bearing the emblem
of the Todt organisation targeting England on
a crude map of Western Europe.

    C132CI zinc, 38.8×64.7mm
Above 3 images courtesy Andrew Sound.

    'AUSWEIS', similar to piece above
Unlisted by McCammon

A further 2 pieces are not shown above:

C131CI(i)  zinc   oblong    38.8×64.7mm  'Todt 5RM'
C131CI(ii) zinc   oblong    38.8×64.7mm  'Todt 5RM', holes l. & r.

Please email me if you are able to furnish an image of either of these?

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