County

The arms were officially granted in 1978.

The main charge in the arms id the sun rising over the sea. Suffolk is the most easterly county in England and thus the first to see the sun rise. The sun also refers to a poem by Michael Drayton, written in 1627. The sun was also used as the badge of Suffolk at the battle of Agincourt. The open crowns and crossed arrows refer to Bury St. Edmunds and have been widely used in the arms of Suffolk towns and districts.

The crest features a Viking dragon ship, symbolising the Norse associations of the County.

Beccles

1795 Suffolk Beccles Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: South porch of the church. B’ECCLESIAE

Reverse: View of a bridge. F S U on a label under it COMMUNITATE AUCTA 1795. F S U is thought to stand for ‘Facta Societatis Usu’, or ‘Made for the use of Society’.

Edge: PAYABLE AT BECCLES SUFFOLK / * / * / * /

D&H Suffolk No. 16 A. 15

The issuer is unknown.

1795 Suffolk Beccles Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: South porch of the church. B’ECCLESIAE

Reverse: View of a bridge. F S U on a label under it COMMUNITATE AUCTA 1795

Edge: PAYABLE AT BECCLES SUFFOLK / * / * / * /, the remainder obliquely milled \\\\\\

D&H Suffolk No. 16a A. 15a

The issuer is unknown, as is the meaning of “FSU” on the reverse.

Blything

1794 Suffolk Blything Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: A mounted yeoman. LOYAL SUFFOLK YEOMANRY. FIRST TROOP

Reverse: A castle. SUFFOLK 1794 within a crowned garter. BLYTHING HUNDRED HALFPENNY.

Edge: GOD SAVE THE KING AND CONSTITUTION . X X .

D&H Suffolk No. 19 A. 17 Diameter 29.8mm

Bungay

The arms were officially granted on July 6, 1953.

The green and white waves represent the River Waveney and floating on the river is a wherry as a reminder of the water-borne trade which used to be carried on by these Norfolk craft upstream as far as Bungay, a town then well known as a boat-repairing centre. On the chief is a pictorial representation of Bungay Castle, above the gateway is the shield of Hugh Bigod, Norman builder of the castle in about 1164.

The crest shows the Black Dog of Bungay running along a flash of lightning, as seen in the great storm of August 4th, 1577, when the Devil was said to have appeared in this form in the Priory Church of St. Mary.

1794 Suffolk Bungay Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: A hand holding a scroll which is inscribed “we promife to pay
the Bearer on DEMAND one HALFPENNY”. In five lines, BUNGAY
1795.

Reverse: A figure of Justice standing on a pedestal, FOR THE USE OF TRADE.

Edge: S. PRENTICE S. DELF M. ABEL.

D&H Suffolk No. 21 A. 19

1794 Suffolk Bungay Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: Remains of an ancient fortress. BUNGAY HALFPENNY. Ex:  BIGODS CASTLE

Reverse: A figure of Justice standing, FOR CHANGE NOT FRAUD. Ex: 1794

Edge: Plain (not in collar, but rounded)

D&H Suffolk No. 22 A. 20

Bury

The arms were officially granted November 29, 1606.

The arms are based on those assigned by the medieval heralds to the Kingdom of East Anglia, whose last king was St. Edmund.

The crest refers to the story of his martyrdom. In 870 King Edmund was overthrown and captured by the Danes in battle at Hoxne. Choosing martyrdom rather than renounce his Christian faith, he was shot to death by arrows and later beheaded. When his followers discovered the body they we unable to find the head until they heard the King’s voice crying out, directing them to a spot where the head was being guarded by a wolf.

The motto translates as Shrine of the King, cradle of the law. The first half refers to King St. Edmund. The second half of the motto refers to the fact that it was at Bury St. Edmunds, that Archbishop Stephen Langton and the Barons opposed to King John met in November, 1214, and pledged themselves to the undertaking which led to Magna Carta.

1794 Suffolk Bury Deck Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: Shield of arms of Bury St. Edmunds

Reverse: A cypher P D above a crown, between palm and laurel branches, THE COMMERCE OF BRITAIN

EDGE: PAYABLE AT P. DECKS POST OFFICE BURY .XX.

Issued for general circulation      MINTAGE: 25,750

DIE SINKER: Thomas Wyon     MANUFACTURER: Peter Kempson

Philip Deck was a freeholder and bookseller in Crown Street, and also the Postmaster of Bury

D&H Suffolk No: 26. Diameter 29 mm

Undated Suffolk Bury Apsey Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: Shield of arms of Bury St. Edmunds

Reverse: A tea kettle, and a Bath stove. SUCCESS TO TRADE.

Edge: Milled

D&H Suffolk No. 28 A. 26

Undated Suffolk Bury Rackhams Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: An ancient gateway. Over the entrance ABBEY GATE BURY

Reverse: An open book, PAYABLE AT RACKHAMS CIRCULATING LIBRAY ANGEL HILL BURY

Edge: OR AT LEATHERDALES . X . HARLESTON NORFOLK.

D&H Suffolk No. 29 A. 27

Undated Suffolk Bury Guest’s Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: An arm and hand holding a hammer. GOING, A GOING. 1795

Reverse: A figure of Fame. PAYABLE AT CHARLES GUEST’S Ex : AUCTIONEER BURY.

Edge: Milled //////

D&H Suffolk No. 30 A. 28

Hoxne

1795 Suffolk Hoxne Tallant Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: A dismounted yeoman leaning against his horse, PRO . ARIS ET . FOCIS (“for hearth and home”)

Reverse: A castle within a garter. 1795 HOXNE & HARTSMERE SUFFOLK LOYAL YEOMANRY CAVALy

Edge: GOD SAVE THE KING AND CONSTITUTION . + .

D&H Suffolk No. 33a A. 31a

Ipswich

The arms were officially granted on August 29, 1561.

The arms are based on the arms of the Cinque Ports, the five harbour towns that were supposed to provide support for the Royal Navy for several centuries. The common arms of these cities were English lions with ship-hull tails.

Undated Suffolk Ipswich Mannings Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: Arms, supporters, crest, and motto of the town of Ipswich

Reverse: A man ploughing, and a ship sailing . GOD PRESERVE THE PLOUGH & SAIL *

Edge: PAYABLE AT ROBERT MANNINGS IPSWICH . x x .

D&H Suffolk No. 34 A. 32

1794 Suffolk Ipswich Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: An ancient market cross, IPSWICH CROSS. E x : 1794

Reverse: PAYABLE AT CONDER’S DRAPERY WAREHOUSE IPSWICH

Edge: Milled

James Conder was the seventh and youngest son of a dissenting pastor, John Conder and his wife. He was born at Mile End in London and was educated at Ware in Hertfordshire and later by a Mr French, a Unitarian minister.

Conder ran a drapery business in Ipswich. He was one of the first people to catalogue the 18th Century independently minted copper trade coinage that now often bears his name as a category of token coins known as Conder Tokens. He published the first catalogue that would remain the definitive source concerning these coins for almost 100 years. The catalogue was titled, An arrangement of Provincial Coins, tokens, and medalets issued in Great Britain, Ireland, and the colonies, within the last twenty years, from the farthing to the penny size and it was published in 1798.

Conder did not simply study the Tokens; he also issued his own tokens to advertise his own drapery business. At the time the British Government did not issue low value coins as they had not been required. However the changes in the way the population worked was changing and there was a large demand throughout the country for low value coins. Many businesses were encouraged to create their own coins. The token illustrated was a provincial token issued by Conder’s own business. The token carries the message Payable at Conder’s Drapery Warehouse Ipswich and on the other side Ipswich Cross. That side shows Ipswich Cross and is dated 1794.

Conder was also known for his knowledge of the history of dissenting churches and meeting houses and had contemplated writing on that subject. As it was he was a major contributor to a work by a Mr Wilson on the history and antiquities of churches in the London area. James is also credited with completing a book on genealogy called The Conder Family which had been started by his father, John Conder. James completed the work, added details of his own father’s life, and had it published in his father’s name.

Forty years after his death, his house at the corner of Old Buttermarket and White Hart Lane was demolished, and a hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins was discovered buried ten feet beneath the doorstep.

Conder died after an internal abscess ruptured and caused him twelve hours of severe pain. He was buried in the meeting house in Tacket Street in Ipswich. Conder’s nephew was Josiah Conder, a leading author, editor and abolitionist.

D&H Suffolk No. 35 A. 33

Woodbridge

The arms were officially granted on May 12, 1975.

The blue and white waves symbolise the River Deben and were seen on the device previously used bt the Town Council, as were the silver scallop shells on red. These are taken from the arms of Thomas Seckford, who was Woodbridge’s most influential citizen and greatest benefactor, rising to power in the reign of Mary Tudor. In 1575 he built the Shire Hall in Market Hill, which now houses the offices of Woodbridge Town Council. They can also been seen as a reference to the Town’s maritime interests and its long history as a port. The rose commemorates Edward Fitzgerald’s residence in Woodbridge during the 19th century, he is most famous for his translation of the 11th century Persian poem “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam”. He was buried in Boulge churchyard and the rose tree over his grave came from hips brought from Omar Khayyam’s grave at Naishapur.

The oak stump refers to the wooden bridge from which the Town is said to derive its name. It is also a reference to the building of warships and pleasure craft over the centuries. The cockerels are taken from the ancient crest recorded for the Seckford family at the visitation of Suffolk in 1561 and 1577.

1796 Suffolk Woodbridge Penny Conder Token

Obverse: A front face bust, THO: SEKFORD ESQ. FOUNDED WOODBRIDGE ALMSHOUSES 1587 .

Reverse: Shield of arms between palm branches, and the motto, ORATIONES . ET . ELEEMOS . ASCENDUNT . IN . MEMORIAM . CORAM . DEO . within a beaded circle . AT WHOSE EXPENCE COUNTY MAPS WERE FIRST ENGRAVED 1574 .

Edge: PUBLISHED BY R. LODER 1796 . X .

Thomas Seckford was an official at Queen Elizabeth’s court and an MP.In 1579 he published maps of England from surveying all the counties, the first of their kind. He founded seven alms houses in Woodbridge in 1586 and paid for the old Woodbridge Abbey to be rebuilt. 

D&H Suffolk No. 15