GREAT BRITAIN. Middlesex. London. Thomas Halls Copper 1/2 Penny Token, 1795. PCGS AU-58.D&H-317. Diameter: 29mm. Obverse: MRS NEWSHAM THE WHITE NEGRESS, Amelia Newsham standing slightly left; Reverse: TO BE HAD AT THE CURIOSITY HOUSE CITY ROAD, NEAR / FINSBURY SQUARE / LONDON / 1795 in four lines. <em>Edge</em>: Plain. An odd and curious piece, this specimen was part of Thomas Halls odd and curious side-show, of which Mrs. Newsham was a part. Born in Jamaica to black slaves, Amelia stood out due to her albinism--a congenital absence of any pigmentation. As such, her skin tone was fair and her hair white, making her the cause for many onlookers. Her owner sold her to a promoter in London, who then used her in various showings at the price of a penny per look.
