Item number: A2805

Year: AD 1793

Material: Copper

Size: 29.9 x 29.5 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 9.6 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020

This is a copper halfpenny token issued in the year AD 1793 for circulation in Coventry, located in the Midlands of England.

The obverse of the token depicts the most celebrated legend of Coventry — Lady Godiva riding naked on horseback, her modesty preserved only by her long flowing hair. The date of issue, “1793,” is inscribed at the bottom of the image, while the upper margin bears the Latin motto “PRO BONO PUBLICO” (For the Public Good).

According to legend, in the year AD 1040, Lady Godiva married Leofric, Earl of Mercia and lord of Coventry. The earl imposed burdensome taxes upon the townspeople, causing widespread hardship. Moved by compassion, Lady Godiva repeatedly pleaded with her husband to reduce the levies, though her entreaties were met with steadfast refusal. At last, wearied by her persistence, Leofric declared that he would grant her request on the improbable condition that she ride naked through the town on horseback.

Kind-hearted and resolute, Lady Godiva consented — but on the day of her procession, she instructed all the townspeople to shutter their doors and windows. Yet one man, a tailor named Tom, could not resist the temptation. He bored a hole in his shutters to spy upon her, for which he was struck blind — giving rise to the English colloquialism “Peeping Tom” to describe a voyeur.

Ultimately, Leofric honoured his promise, lifting the oppressive taxes, and Lady Godiva’s act of selflessness became a cherished cultural legend in Coventry’s history.

The reverse of the token features the coat of arms of Coventry, depicting an elephant bearing a castle upon its back. Encircling the upper margin is the denomination inscription “COVENTRY HALFPENNY.” Along the edge of the token runs the legend “PAYABLE AT THE WAREHOUSE OF ROBERT REYNOLDS & CO,” indicating the location where the token could be redeemed.

Coventry’s choice of the elephant as its civic emblem can be traced to medieval Christian symbolism, in which the elephant was frequently interpreted as a representation of God’s deliverance of Adam and Eve. Additionally, within the Christian worldview of the period, elephants were believed to possess the power to vanquish dragons — long regarded as symbols of evil. It is also notable that Saint George, the dragon-slaying Christian martyr and England’s patron saint, was in some legends associated with a birthplace near Coventry, further reinforcing the city’s adoption of such iconography.

物件編號: A2805

年代: 公元 1793 年

材質: 紅銅

尺寸: 29.9 x 29.5 x 1.4 mm

重量: 9.6 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2020

這是一枚公元1793年，在英格蘭中部的考文垂流通使用的面額 ½ 便士代幣，材質為紅銅。

代幣正面是考文垂最膾炙人口的故事，即赤裸全身僅以長髮遮羞騎在馬上的戈黛娃夫人。圖像的底部鐫刻發行年份「1793」，上緣則是拉丁銘文「PRO BONO PUBLICO」(為公眾福利)。

根據傳說故事，公元1040年，戈黛娃夫人嫁給統治考文垂的麥西亞伯爵利奧弗里克。伯爵課徵重稅使得居民苦不堪言，同情民眾的戈黛娃夫人向丈夫求情，但都被伯爵無情地拒絕。最終不堪其擾的伯爵告訴戈黛娃夫人，若她願意裸體騎馬繞行城市一圈，他便會做出減稅的決定。心地善良的戈黛娃夫人了解後，先是要求所有居民在她遊街的當天緊閉門窗。但是有一名叫作湯姆的裁縫師忍不住誘惑，偷偷鑿了一個洞想要偷窺戈黛娃夫人，湯姆的眼睛就此失明更成為英國俚語「偷窺狂」(Peeping Tom) 的典故。最終伯爵也照實減免居民的稅收，戈黛娃夫人的故事也成為考文垂的重要文化資產。

代幣背面則是考文垂的市徽，一頭駝著城堡的大象。大象上緣環繞著面額「COVENTRY HALFPENNY」(考文垂半便士)。代幣側邊則圍繞銘文「PAYABLE AT THE WAREHOUSE OF ROBERT REYNOLDS & CO」(可於羅伯特·雷諾茲公司倉庫兌付)。

考文垂之所以選擇大象作為市徽，是因為在中世紀基督教文化中，大象經常被寓意為上帝拯救亞當和夏娃的形象。另一方面，當時的基督徒也將大象視為能夠消滅象徵邪惡的惡龍，無獨有偶，以屠龍形象知名的基督教聖徒聖喬治，其其中一個傳說中的出身地點就是在考文垂附近。