Description:
[SMITH, Adam]. The Penny of Scotland. Boog junior des., P.Kempson fecit 1797Penny Token, struck in bronze, 35mm in diameter,
with portrait of Adam Smith after Tassie on the obverse, a scene on the reverse entitled Wealth of Nations depicting various symbols of agriculture, commerce and trade including a plough, a spinning-wheel, a wool-pack and a cask on a quay-side with two three-masted ships in the back ground sailing out of the harbour.
J.M.Gray, 'The Portraits of Adam Smith' in J.Bonar 'Catalogue of the Library of Adam Smith' 1894. Illustrated in Scott, Adam Smith as Student and Professor, 1937. Dalton & Hamer, Fifeshire no.1. Not in Vanderblue.The only other recorded portraits of Adam Smith before our penny token which we have been able to trace are the Tassie medallion of 1787, two etched portraits by John Kay of 1787 and 1790 and a 'very poor unsigned transcript in line' (Gray) after Tassie in the Scots Magazine of 1796.
A very fine example of the one ounce Penny of… Read More