Ireland. Paper / Card “Leather Money” Four Pence, Octagonal. Malcolmson Brothers, Portlaw. Signed In Ink “Annesley Nee”? Rare.
 
In the 1820s, the Malcomson Brothers established a large cotton mill at Portlaw, County Waterford, on the River Clodagh, a tributary of the River Suir. The enterprise proved highly successful until the outbreak of the American Civil War, when disruptions to cotton supplies made raw materials increasingly difficult to secure.
From a numismatic perspective, the Malcomson Brothers are particularly notable for issuing cardboard tokens to their workforce. These lacquered paper pieces, commonly referred to as “leather money” because of their appearance, circulated widely in the area. Owing to the firm’s strong reputation, local shopkeepers and tradespeople readily accepted them as payment.
Known denominations include Four Pence, One Shilling, and Half a Crown, dated between 1838 and 1854, with examples recorded in a variety of colours. Offered here is an undated octagonal Four Pence token bearing the signature of Annesley Nee?