'Proper piece of Bristol history' up for auction

Only 20 of the silver coins are still known to be circulating

A "proper piece of Bristol history" is expected to fetch thousands of pounds when it goes under the hammer this week.

The theatre token from 1766 is one of 50 originally gifted to the first shareholders of the Bristol Old Vic theatre, who helped fund its construction between 1764 and 1766.

The "incredibly rare" item allowed the owner unlimited access to shows and is set to go under the hammer at the Bristol-based Auctioneum on Thursday.

Auctioneer Andrew Stowe said only 20 of the silver tokens are known to still exist adding: "Every now and again, another token gets discovered and this is just one such of those newly discovered tokens."

Auctioneers have given it an estimated sale price of between £5,000 and £10,000.

Another of the tokens sold for £9,200 at a Wiltshire auction house last year, which at the time the Bristol Old Vic said could still be valid to the new owner.

The Bristol Old Vic has undergone a number of refurbishments

The inscription on the token reads: "The proprietor of this ticket is entitled to the sight of every performance to be exhibited in this house."

The reverse side reads: "King Street Bristol Theatre, May 30, 1766."

Token No.31 belonged to shareholder Daniel Harson, but by 1816 the coin had found its way into the possession of another shareholder, John Palmer.

Records from 1925 show the coin was then passed to A. A. Levy-Langfield, wherein it stayed in the family until being purchased by its current owner in 2009.

Mr Stowe said: "The theatre on King Street went on to become the Old Vic, which went on to spawn the Old Vic Theatre School where some of the world's most famous actors trained.

"The knock-on story for both the history of Bristol and the wider world is just so, so special."