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Here's a website with a small bit of information on the tokens: http://www.mining-memorabilia.co.uk/Tokens.htm As Pete just noted, you can usually find originals that are not expensive. They show up on eBay fairly often, too. I suspect that some of these penny tokens were issued in huge numbers, so are not considered rare. Some of the repro's were done (and marked) for the tourist trade. Here's one that was sold at Poldark Mine in Cornwall: http://cgi.ebay.com/Poldark-mine-Cornish-halfpenny-token-1985-906_W0QQitemZ8 408418490QQcategoryZ72386QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem -----Original Message----- From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Peter Challis Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2006 8:25 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Tavistock Penny 1811 I can confirm that my own, original, hopefully, and unworn example bears no, "makers or repro. mark". What I have noticed is that the smoke emanating from the chimney is reversed in direction on the reproduction. Which makes me wonder how the reproductions are made and also whether there may be variations of the original, as indeed is true for most of the token coinage issue. I am also puzzled, as Mark points out this is not a particularly scarce token, usually selling for less than ten pounds in its worn condition; thus I wonder why anyone would think it worth reproducing at all. The market in original tokens let alone copies doesn't appear to be extensive, or am I missing something? Pete Challis On 27 Apr 2006, at 07:45, [log in to unmask] wrote: > Robert > I think these are the makers marks of the modern/repro die sinkers. > I'm sure that none of these markings appear on the original > Birmingham minted Tavistock pennies of 1811. The original pennies > are not that rare but normally turn up in fairly worn condition > compared to many of the other 1811 series of commercial pennies. > It is common for repros. such as the ones being made by Bidbury to > have some form of makers or repro. mark on them to stop them being > passed off as originals (as can happen). > Regards > Mark Smith