Australasian Tokens and Coins
Copper and Bronze Tokens
When considering the issue of an illustrated Catalogue of Australasian Tokens and Coins, one of the most important matters requiring decision was whether to follow the example of previous writers on the subject, or to adopt what will probably be thought by some an unwise innovation. It was hoped to produce a volume worthy of the notice of numismatists generally, and which should include all known issues, if possible. Hitherto little attention has been paid to Australasian Tokens by numismatists generally, possibly because it would be natural to conclude that they could not have age to render them interesting, nor have they any great artistic claim to consideration. With the exception of Atkins and Stainsfield, whose publications are nearly or quite forty years old, no one has attempted any detailed description of them, and their lists do not cover half the varieties known. Certainly the outline catalogue of Mr. A. Chitty is more complete as regards numbers, but unfortunately gives but very meagre details. These writers also have all arranged their lists on the same plan. They keep the various Colonies or States as they are now denominated separate, place alphabetically the towns in each where tokens were issued, and similarly list the names of issuers in each place. Persons living in and well acquainted with the geography of Australasia have little difficulty in finding the information they require about any piece, but it seems hardly reasonable to expect that numismatists living on the other side of the world will be sufficiently cognisant of Australian geography to decide in what State to look for, say, Jamberoo, Kiama, Eaglehawk, Timaru, and many others. Again, there is an important town in New South Wales named Wellington, and it is known to most that the same name is attached to one of the largest cities of New Zealand. Further, it is well known that practically all Australa:ian Tokens bear the name of the issuer in such form that there can be no doubt as to the person responsible for their redemption. It was considered that it would probably be easier to pick out the name from an alphabetical list than to seek for an obscure township without knowing which State to search. Fortunately, also, there is no clashing of names in the various places.
It was decided, therefore, to definitely break away from the old custom, and to list the tokens in strict alphabetical order of the names of issuers, giving with each piece the place of issue with the other details. To assist those who would prefer the former plan, lists of the issuers in each State, with their places of abode, have been included.
In another matter, and one, perhaps, more important from a strictly numis- matic point of view, I have followed the custom of those Australian collectors whose publications have passed into authoritative reference issues on the subject-of placing the advertisement face of the token first as the obverse, it being the mark of domicile or origin.
Australian Tokens were not an authorised issue, and the figures and emblems they carry, not being arms of Dominion, or always signs of national origin, the real guarantee vested in the token was the advertisement of the firm or person issuing. Hence this came to be considered the principal side, or obverse. This practice, although it may at first sight appear somewhat irregular, will, on consideration, I feel sure, be duly recognised by numismatists generally. Further, by adhering to previous practice, uniformity is secured, and the danger of confusion in comparative reference lessened.
In a minor matter I have again differed from the previous writers mentioned in that I have placed the halfpence of any issuer immediately after the pence in each case, instead of grouping them together at the end of the list.
Varied Upsets have not been listed as varieties, as they are mere accidental occurrences. Many issues are found, both normal and upset, and in such cases they are marked as normal, while if they are usually found upset it is indicated in each case.
A careful examination of a very large number shows that, even with the best-made pieces, it is quite common to find that the obverse and reverse are neither normal nor upset within 10° or 15°, an amount that would not attract attention generally.
Tokens have been described (Tepper) as metal discs with devices or inscriptions, or both, impressed on them by specially-prepared dies, and circulated by mercantile firms, companies, or individuals as money, like ordinary coins. By far the greater number consist of copper. As their adoption arose from the insufficiency of legitimate small change in circulation, they supplied an obvious want; and so long as they represented a fair value and remained restricted to circumscribed localities they evidently did no harm, but were beneficial to all parties concerned.
However, when it was discovered that the tokens not only formed an excellent medium for advertising, but that also a handsome profit could be made by debasing the value much below that of the current legal coin which the token replaced, they were issued in such vast quantities that the public and the State suffered loss. Hence, during the sixth decade of last century, Acts were passed for their suppression in the various British Dominions.
As palpable evidence of popular phases of national life, both in Britain and the Colonies, they will ever remain objects of interest to the collector and the historian, for in both they are contemporaneous with the most important periods of national development.
As in other British colonies, the copper tokens of Australasia, in size and weight, roughly agreed with the Regal pence and halfpence of the time. While the thick-rimmed pence of George III weighed 410 grs., his later issues were reduced to 290 grs., and those of Queen Victoria also. Very few of the token pence weighed more than 260 grs., and some were under 200 grs., and the halfpence in proportion.
As long as the piece bore some relative size and weight to the official issues, it passed current without trouble, but when, as in the case of Fleming (No. 128), it was not only reduced in size, but also in weight to 140 grs., the public would have none of it, and the unfortunate issuer was left to dispose of them as best he could.
The bronze pieces were evidently not popular with issuers, as we find but few issues in that metal, and these generally of later dates after the issue of the British bronze of 1860, had made people familiar with the size and the convenience of a lighter medium of exchange.
But three issuers made use of brass for their requirements. Of these Whitty and Brown, of Sydney, only produced a few as an experiment. Morris Marks, of New Zealand, at the same time reduced the size to little over that of a halfpenny, with the result that they were refused general circulation, and hence specimens are generally in good condition. Fenwick Bros., of Melbourne, made two issues in this metal of the ordinary size which apparently satisfied the community. Their pieces are also found of copper, but all are scarce. Noah Shreeve also issued small brass tokens, now considered by many merely as advertisements. They certainly had a limited circulation.
There are many brass counterfeits in existence, but they can always be easily distinguished by the roughness of the surface, due to being cast in plaster of paris moulds. They are also generally somewhat smaller than the picce copied.
With the exception of the penny of R. Henry, of Hobart (No. 225), and a halfpenny of Marsh Bros., of the same place (No. 378), which are milled, all Australasian Tokens have plain edges. Some of the earlier colonial-made issues being roughly struck on plain blanks without the edges being raised, the body of the coin is not protected by a thickened rim, leading to more rapid effacement of the design.
The following extract from an unpublished treatise, compiled by Dr. Roth and Mr. A. F. Basset Hull, about 1893, and made available by the courtesy of Mr. William Dixson, of Sydney, gives a graphic account of some of the difficulties colonial makers met with when first endeavouring to meet a public want without the experience or machinery required.
The late Mr. Peek, of George St., Sydney, was the originator of the Token coinage for Australia. Being acquainted with J. C. Thornthwaite, Peek engaged him to carry out his plan. Owing to his position as a large shareholder in the 'Burra Burra' copper mines of South Australia, Peck was enabled to procure a supply of ingots of that metal. These, however, proved of but little use to Thornthwaite, who had no suitable appliance for manufacturing sheet copper from the ingots. They then procured some copper rods of thc required size and thickness, and George Parkin, the apprentice, was set to work with a handsaw to cut off the blanks one by one. Needless to say, this proved a very tedious and tiring business. Fortune smiled at last, for they chanced, after manufacturing a few by the above method, to make the acquaintance of an individual in the employ of Mr. John Baptist, the gardener at Surry Hills, who, having had some previous experience, showed them how to cut lanks from sheet copper. The funnel of a discarded steamer was thus subsequently utilised. The press used for stamping the tokens was an old affair, and hardly suitable for the purpose, being worked on the same principle as a letter-copying press. Incapable of giving the necessary force, they weighted the stamper with some of the copper ingots, but no better results were obtained. They finally had recourse to a drop-hammer worked with a block and pulley, somewhat resembling the machines used on a larger scale for driving piles. This method answered only too well, as it not only gave the sharp blow required, but sent the dies flying in all directions, simply bombarding the inside of the workshop and rendering it somewhat unpleasant and unsafe for the occupants. Such, then, is a short history of the difficulties the first die-sinker of the copper currencies had to contend with, and, taking all in all, the result reflects great credit on his industry and perseverance. The first tokens thus struck comprise those for the Tea Stores (Peek & Co.), Sydney, for Thornthwaite himself, for Allen, of Jamberoo, and for Bell & Gardner, of Rockhampton. Those manufactured for Allen were refused by that trader on account of what he considered their bad workmanship.
The whole quantity was subsequentiy disposed of by Thornthwaite at a penny each to the toll gatekeeper at Annandale, who passed them on in change to the hapless wayfarers.
Thornthwaite also made the pence for John Allen, of Kiama, a brother of William Allen, of Jamberoo, and it is generally considered that the last paragraph of the above extract should apply to his pieces. In view, however, of the fact that but two of John Allen's pieces are known, while those of William Allen, though rare, are not extremely so, we may conclude that the above gives a correct account of the matter, and the extreme rarity of the John Allen pieces may have arisen from his refusing to receive his also when but a very few patterns had been struck.
With such primitive appliances it can be understood that but very limited numbers could be produced and that the expense would be in proportion. Colonial makers also were handicapped by competition with English firms who, with their extensive plants, thought orders for less than two or three large barrels of tukens at one time of little importance. It is known that in 1854, James Campbell, of Morpeth, put into circulation no less than two tons of pence and halfpence.
The workmanship displayed in the manufacture of the Australian-made issues, as might be expected, compares badly with the imported article. The English firins, with some of them a century or more of experience to guide them and very extensive connections, could afford to employ well-instructed and capable men to produce their designs, cut the dies and give the proper finish to the com- pleted article, while the colonial maker had to undertake an unaccustomed job with very inferior appliances. It was not till Thomas Stokes, of Melbourne, in 1857, purchased W. J. Taylor's plant and many of his dies that the local product became in any way equal to the imported. To Stokes belongs the credit of producing not only well-made tokens, but a large series of designs typically Australian in character, by which his issues can be easily distinguished from those made in England.
The time of issue of many tokens cannot be fixed, as they bear no indication of date, and this is especially noticeable with the imported pieces, where in some cases repeated orders must have been filled to account for the numbers and varieties in design well known to collectors.
Though, as has been already shown, Annand, Smith & Co., of Melbourne, were the first to issue copper tokens in 1849, they were not dated, and had we not the contemporary notice of their appearance it could not be otherwise decided. There is in existence a very roughly struck piece (No. 578) bearing the date 1850 which was in Heuzenroeder's collection. It appears to be an early attempt or pattern by Thornthwaite and thus antedates his first known issue by two years.
The penny of Joseph Moir, of Hobart (No. 384), bears the date 1850, but this is generally taken to apply rather to the date of the establishment of his business than the actual date of issue. The Melbourne halfpence of W. J. Taylor, which bear a legend showing that he was Medallist to the Great Exhibition of 1851, have been claimed for that year, but as they were struck in Melbourne and his plant did not reach that city till late in 1852, it can only be taken as an advertisement.
The first dated regular issue is that made by Thornthwaite for Peek and Campbell, of the Tea Stores, Sydney, in 1852. It consists of a penny which is very rare and two varieties of halfpence. The following year (1853) a further issue of pence was made for the same firm. The next date found is 1854, when Thornthwaite issued both pence and halfpence for himself in Sydney, and James Nokes and T. W. Thomas & Co., in Melbourne, distributed large numbers of halfpence.
From this time each year brought forth increasing numbers. Issues rapidly increased in 1857, when Stokes purchased Taylor's plant and seriously took up the business. The year 1862 is the most common date, as no less than thirty-five new firms or individuals made dated issues with, in some cases, several varieties. Stokes himself also produced a very extensive series bearing his own name or his exclusive designs. Over fifty of his varieties are known, some few not previously listed having been lately recognised and described.
By 1862, such enormous numbers of tokens were in circulation that they began to be a nuisance instead of a blessing, and efforts were made to stop the issue. Over 640 are described in this catalogue. The latest date we find on Victorian pieces is 1863, in which year they were declared illegal in that Colony. Almost at once we find complaints from South Australia that large numbers have been bought up cheaply in Victoria and introduced into that Colony to the detriment of the people. The introduction also of the new British bronze money rendered tokens unpopular, though they did not disappear from circulation till after 1875. In New South Wales and Queensland the latest date is 1865, while Western Australia still utilised them till 1874, and in New Zealand the beautiful series of Milner and Thompson bears the date 1881. These latter, however, were used quite as much as an advertisement as for small change.
In New South Wales, in 1868, tokens were made illegal and were largely withdrawn from circulation, together with the old copper money at nominal value, being paid for in the new bronze issue. The total amount of tokens was not to exceed that of Imperial copper money handed in at the same time. It was also noted that anonymous tokens, roughly cast and only recently circulated; counter- feits, or made of brass, were not receivable. Macgregor, who issued a neat penny and halfpenny in Sydney (Nos. 339-340), was unfortunate enough to import no less than a ton weight just at this time, and the Mint refused to receive them, rendering what would have been a very profitable transaction a heavy loss, as he sold most of them for the metal.
The wholesale disappearance of these pieces is accounted for not only by the various Acts passed for their suppression, but in no small degree by the purity of the copper of which they were made rendering them particularly valuable for alloying. This latter fact is emphasised on the halfpenny issued by Joseph Lane and Son, Birmingham, which bears on the reverse :
REFINED AUSTRALIAN COPPER / FOR / ALLOYING / GOLD in four lines
Much dissatisfaction was caused in Sydney by the interpretation placed on the Act governing the withdrawal of copper moneys, as the officials demanded two Imperial pence as the equivalent of one penny token, but this appears to have been changed, for the official return in March, 1869, of old copper coin and tokens withdrawn gives the value of the coin as £1,191, and the tokens £1,240. The we ght of the total was 10 tons, and they were forwarded to England by the S.S. Himalaya as Crown treasure.
In 1877, notice was given that old copper coins and tokens would be received at the Mint after 31st December only as old metal. The Master of the Mint, in his report, stated that although the greatest encouragement had been given to the collection of old copper coin the whole amount received during the past nine years only amounted to £273 14s. 5d., and the exchange was finally closed.
Tasmania passed an Act in 1876, making the British bronze money current and all copper coins illegal.
