Spitalfield Market Token, George Mann, 20s, silver coloured metal, pierced, with "C. Neal" makers name, GVF.
Wholesale food markets used tokens (often known as Brasses) as a receipt for deposits paid for baskets, boxes, sacks and other containers used to convey the produce. These were widely used in the London markets, and are found in other cities and large towns such as Birmingham and Worcester. When baskets, boxes, sacks etc. were issued the trader would charge a deposit to ensure the return of the container. Simply returning the deposit when the container was returned was open to fraud, since they could readily be stolen from the back of the market and then re-presented to collect the deposit again. To receive repayment, both the container and the token had to be presented to the trader. Information taken from the "Token Corresponding Society" web site.
ARL Collectables
