Gambling token - Victoria (Keep your temper) ND

Reverse

A female in long dress seated right. Cards in left hand, playing a card with right, four counters on table (3 under 1), no table legs shown, chair and feet on carpet. Lettering around, beaded border

Script: Latin

Lettering: KEEP YOUR TEMPER

Engraver: Thomas Kettle

Edge

Plain

Comment

Whist Token.

Whist counters were a series of British tokens sold at street shops or given away as advertising cards from the time of George III [1760-1820] through the reign of Victoria [1837-1876].

Whist, a popular game during this time period, was a forerunner of Bridge.

Most of Thomas Kettle’s exonumia products issued after mid 1830s served primarily as counters for use in the game of Whist. Thomas was the son of Henry and ran the kettle from from about 1812 to the 1830s or later. Although Whist counters had been issued prior to Thomas Kettle, his were probably the first to portray a woman playing Whist

There were many varieties of the token featuring both men & woman card players along with variations to the wording around Victorias' head.

e.g. 'Close-up' of a Woman wearing open collar and puff sleeves at shoulder, holding cards in left hand, right hand playing a card, table one leg, no carpet.

Obverse: VICTORIA QUEEN OF GREAT BRIT around young head of Victoria.

Male player facing left cards in both hands, card on table does not touch border of dots, four counters on table arranged two under two, no table legs show, three chair legs, carpet plain.

Obverse: Young Queen head, Legend: VICTORIA REGINA

My example still has a fair bit of gilt [gold-like plating] left on it and on the obverse the rare example of a young Queen Victorias' head surrounded by 'THE SOVEREIGN OF CIVILISATION'