"Housey Money"

[Spoonbill]

I must admit that until now, I hadn't a clue that such a thing as 'housey money' had ever existed. Yet there's a Housey penny token currently for sale on eBay, dating from 1800. The blurb reads:

Christ's Hospital 1800 One Penny Token - RARE ITEM - 30mm and 6g - aF - slight bend in flan.
Middlesex, Christ's Hospital 1800 penny:
Obv: A monogram cypher: CH, solid letters, 1800 below, beaded border.
Rev: PENNY in the centre with a sprig above and below, beaded border.
Finer work type, thin flan. Edge: Plain. D&H 13

These were struck for the sole use of the boys of Christ's Hospital, and were known as "Housey-money." It was illegal for boys to make purchases outside the gates, or to retain possession of current coin; it was changed by one of the beadles.



Does anyone know when this system went out? JR, you were at CH in the late 19th Century. Were the tokens still in use then?

[jhopgood]

Taken from 1892 magazine

HOUSEY-MONE'Y." The Blue Coat School was once able to boast of a coinage of its own. -Within the bounds of the hospital the coin of the realm was not current. How the custom arose is not clear. When a boy came to the school with money in his purse, the first thing he had to do before he could make any purchases of cakes, fruit, toys, and the like, at the "tuck" shop," was to go to one of the beadles who acted as money-changer, and exchange his copper or silver or gold, for this "housey-money," which consisted of copper pieces of an octagonal shape, on which their value was stamped. The curious coinage his been abolished, and specimens of it are now so rare that few collectors are fortunate enough to possess any.

Little Folks.

[sejintenej]

I see that John's quote above was also in the Wellington Times and Agricultural and Mining Gazette (Tas. : 1890 - 1897) on 29 November 1890 (allegedly). but in a somewhat garbled form; the connection with New Zealand (or is it Tasmania?) beats me.

I see also that the asking price for that penny is £20 which sounds cheap. If in 1890 they were considered very rare ........

[Foureyes]

"...the connection with New Zealand (or is it Tasmania?) beats me..."

I have no documentary proof, but a possible explanation is that throughout the XIXth century, but particularly in the latter half, significant numbers of Old Blues emigrated to Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania. Most of these would have married and had children out there and when they died a few Housie artefacts were found in their effects, but were of little or no interest to their descendants and were disposed of. For example, Housie Bibles turn up in sales in Oz from time to time.
David