Drag to Rotate
Spolasco Drag to Rotate
Click to Enlarge

Baron Spolasco (ca. 1800-ca.1858) was a notorious quack. While practicing medicine in Ireland, he was also known as John Williams and John Smith. He was a passenger in a shipwreck in 1838, about which he advertised his heroism. He subsequently practiced in Wales, London, and beginning in about 1850 in New York. He was satirized by Walt Whitman.

Token

Brass. England 1838. Unsigned. Lifetime. Trade token advertising his practice in Swansea.

Size

22 mm

Artist

Unknown.

Obverse

Clothed bust three-quarters to left, with head facing, within a circle; in a curve above, THE BARON SPOLASCO M.D.&C.; and below, THE REAL FRIEND / OF THE AFFLICTED in two lines; the whole within a beaded circle.

Reverse

In a field, THIS / EMINENT / PHYSICIAN'S / 5.000. RECENT / ASTOUNDING CURES / AND HIS NARRATIVE / OF THE KILLARNEY / IMMORTALIZE / HIS NAME in nine parallel lines; above, in a curve, JANʸ 22ᴰ 1838 [both 'Y' and 'D' underlined] and below the ornamental line, SWANSEA Sth WALES in a curve; the whole within a beaded circle.

Ref

Freeman 873; Storer 3411

Webform
CAPTCHA This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.