Police tipstaff truncheon
Date made: early 19th century
Description: An oak baton or truncheon, made from composition of Gutta Percha, black ornamented with gold shaded with red, and with green myrtle leaves. Decorated with a Crown/VR/Three legs/space broken/TL. [nb TL would probably be the initials of the constable]
This baton belonged to a police Special Constable. It was used at the time of the 1839 copper riots, when a move to bring the thirteen pence Manx shilling into line with the twelve pence British shilling meant that working people felt they were being cheated. Riots broke out in Douglas and Peel.
Gutta Percha a tough plastic substance from the latex of several Malaysian trees (especially Palaquium gutta) of the sapodilla family that resembles rubber but contains more resin.
Measurements: overall: 41 x 4.5 cm
Materials: wood: oak
Object name: Truncheon
Collection: Social History Collection
ID Number: 1954-0312