Australasian Tokens and Coins
Silver Tokens
The first silver token issued in Australasia was undoubtedly the shilling of MACINTOSH & DEGRAVES, of the Cascade Saw Mills, Hobart, Tasmania. It bears the date 1823, but the time of actual issue is surrounded by considerable obscurity. Early in 1823. Thomas Stace, whose paper notes are so well known to numismatists, certainly owned a sawmill, at the Cascade. The earliest reference which can be found to either of the members of the firm of MACINTOSH & DEGRAVES is in Bent's “ Tasmanian Alminac,” compiled in 1824, and published on 1st January, 1825, where Major Macintosh is given as the owner of a sawing mill at the Cascade, and Peter Degraves as an engineer in Brisbane-street. Stace does not appear again in connection with the sawmill. The next reference does not occur till nine years later, when, in 1834, Degraves advertises in the Hobart Town Gizette for hay wanted at the Cascade Sa'ymills, and in the same year the “ Van Dieman's Land Almanac has another advertisement from him, stating that all kinds of timber can be obtained at the Cascade Sawmills. Major Hugh Macintosh died in December, 1834, and was buried on 24th December in St. David's Churchyard, Hobart.
It is quite probable, from the above, that Macintosh and Degraves purchased the mill from Stace in 1823, and the date on the token indicates the establishment of the business. Though the exact circumstances surrounding the preparation of this piece are not clear, it can be definitely affirmed that the token was prepared at or about the date noted on it, and certainly by the persons indicated thereon. Whether it was issued generally or not, or what reasons led to its withdrawal if issued, cannot now be ascertained.
It is surprising that at a time when the want of coin was so severely felt no notice of the issue of the piece should appear in contemporary publications, a fact that supports the claim made that it was issued rather as a memento than for ordinary currency.
It being of pure silver, which at the time held a very high value, no profit could have been made from the issue. The beautiful condition in which these rare coins are generally found would also support the idea that they were looked on as patterns or curios, and not generally circulated.
The design, though perhaps not particularly artistic, is fairly well executed, while the presence of the name TASMANIA is remarkable, as that name was not applied to the colony till fully twenty years later.
Electrotypes have been prepared from the original, but they are easily distinguished from the genuine coin, as a flaw was purposely made in the copy to prevent its substitution for an original.
More than thirty years passed before the next silver issue was made. In 1854, J. C. Thornthwaite commenced to make silver threepences bearing his own name and that of James Campbell. In considering these we have to remember that the dies were made by Thornthwaite with seal engraver's tools, and they were struck by his apprentice, George Parkin, who had no previous experience in such things. All five of Thornthwaite's issues are rare, and an especial interest attaches to them in that, for the first time in the history of colonial-made tokens, a machine called a fiddle was used to raise the edge of the blanks prior to the striking of the design. The difference is very noticeable when these are compared with the later issues of Hogarth, Erichsen & Co. The latter are of uniform thickness throughout and the wear of the piece more noticeable.
The Oakleaf token, No. 681, Pl. 56, was the first made and not more than eighteen or twenty were struck, as Thornthwaite was not satisfied with the reverse. Nos. 682 and 683 followed. About five or six pounds' worth of the former and less of the latter were issued. No. 685, Pl. 56, was then made for the Hon. Jas. Campbell, of Morpeth, and of these exactly five pounds' worth were struck. All these were of good silver, procured by melting down old English and foreign coins, and at the time of issue were intrinsically worth at least fourpence each.
Mr. S. Thornthwaite, who is still following his father's occupation, and also making use of some of his original plant, informs the writer that his father cut a die for a sixpence in silver, but only struck a single piece from it. This piece he wore on his watchchain for several years till it was stolen. Years after it was seen in a pawnbroker's shop, but shortly disappeared, and it was believed it was sent to England and has never been heard of since. The design was, on the obverse, very similar to that of his threepences, with on the reverse the words SIX | PENCE in two lines across the centre, with J. C. THORNTHWAITE above.
The Hogarth, Erichsen pieces are of later date, and generally of inferior metal. They were mostly struck at Leichhardt in a press owned by Mr. Thornthwaite, who knew both Hogarth and Erichsen intimately. No. 692, Pl. 56, bearing the effigy of a black with a boomerang, was first mentioned in the Berliner Muntablatter as in the Heuzenroeder Collection, and is almost, if not quite, unique. Report has it that Hogarth was himself very like a blackfellow, and knew a lot about them, and was fond of taking them off. He may have prepared the die for this piece, and possibly others, though Erichsen is generally credited with the making of the dies. That Hogarth was able to do such work is well known, and is mentioned elsewhere in these pages.
680
MACINTOSH & DEGRAVES. Hobart. Tasmania.
*Shilling. 1823. 22 mm. Normal. 662 grs. Rare. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. Has ONE / SHILLING / TOKEN in three straight lines across the centre, SAW MILLS above and MACINTOSH AND DEGRAVES below within the indented rim.
- Reverse. A kangaroo sitting to right, with the head turned backwards. TASMANIA over, 1823 in the exergue Edge plain.
681
THORNTHWAITE, J. C. Sydney.
* Threepence. Silver. 16 mm. 1854. Normal. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. The Australian Arms with rising sun as crest, with a kangaroo on the left and emu on the right as supporters, on the scroll beneath is ADVANCE AUSTRALIA round within the beaded rim, NEW SOUTH WALES with 1854 below.
- Reverse. A large numeral 3 formed by an oak leaf branch bent into the required shape and surmounted by a rising sun. SILVER to left, TOKEN to right, and 1854 at the bottom within the beaded rim.
682
*Threepence. 1854. 16 mm. Upset. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. As No. 681.
- Reverse. A smaller numeral 3 surmounted by rising sun, the horizontal stroke of the 3 is straight and the tail of the loop ends in a knob. SILVER to left and TOKEN to right, with J.C.T. below.
683
Threepence. 1854. 16 mm. Normal.
- Obverse. As No. 682, but the legend NEW SOUTH WALES is contracted, bringing the E of WALES instead of the L against the tip of the tail of the emu.
- Reverse. As No. 682.
684
* Threepence (n.d.). 16 mm. Upset.
- Obverse. As No. 681.
- Reverse. A large numeral 3 with the horizontal stroke sinuous and the tail of the loop tapering to a point. SILVER to left, TOKEN to right. No initials or date.
685
CAMPBELL, James. Morpeth. New South Wales.
*Threepence (n.d.). 16 mm. Normal. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. A floral device in centre, with GENERAL STORES forming an inner circle of legend and round within the beaded rim, JAMES CAMPBELL MORPETH.
- Reverse. As No. 683.
686
HOGARTH, ERICHSEN & Co. Sydney.
*Threepence. 1858. 16 mm. Normal. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. A kangaroo to left and emu to right of a palm tree on a curved base, HOGARTH ERICHSEN &C JEWEİLERS. SYDNEY. round within the beaded rim.
- Reverse. A large 3 in centre with 18 to left and 58 to right in very small figures enclosed in an oak wreath, two acorns on wreath close to the figure 8.
687
*Threepence. 1858. 16 mm. Normal. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. A slightly different tree with kangaroo to left and emu to right. HOGARTH ERICHSEN & C° JEWELLERS . SYDNEY. The base is not quite so rounded.
- Reverse. Oak wreath rather more open, 3 slightly larger, no acorns at 8.
688
* Threepence. 1858. 16 mm. Upset.
- Obverse. A kangaroo to left and emu to right of a palm tree on a straight base, PAYABLE AT HOGARTH ERICHSEN & CO. SYDNEY round within the beaded rim.
- Reverse. As No. 687.
689
Threepence. 1858. 16 mm. Upset. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. The kangaroo to right and emu to left of a grass-tree on a straight base which extends to the edge of the piece. IOGARTH ERICHSEN & CO. round above SYDNEY in curved line in exergue.
- Reverse. As No. 686.
690
*Threepence. 1858. 16 mm. Normal. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. As No. 689, with SYDNEY in straight line in the exergue.
- Reverse. As No. 686.
691
*Threepence. 1860. 16 mm. Normal. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. A kangaroo to right and emu to left of a different grass-tree, with the flower spathe curved strongly to the right. Both kangaroo and emu crouching. REMEMBRANCE OF AUSTRALIA round within the beaded rim.
- Reverse. A smaller numeral 3 enclosed in a wreath of pointed leaves possibly intended for laurel or olive, 1860 in very minute figures under the knot. HOGARTH & ERICHSEN SYDNEY round within the beaded rim.
692
Threepence (n.d.). 16 mm. Normal. Pl. 56.
- Obverse. As No. 691.
- Reverse. A naked blackfellow with boomerang in right hand, the left raised as shading the eyes, a flower like a lily in front. HOGARTH to left, ERICHSEN to right within the beaded rim. A mark on the breastbone said to represent a man. Edge roughly milled.
693
Threepence (n.d.). 16 mm. Normal.
- Obverse. As 691, but the lettering is lighter, the head of the grass-tree larger and looser, and the flower spathe ends against the Cof REMEMBRANCE instead of N.
- Reverse. A naked blackfellow in siightly different position, and the boomerang drawn further back. The flower also is slighter and taller. Edge roughly milled.
694
Fourpence. 16 mm. 1860.
- Obverse. As No. 691.
- Reverse. As No. 692.
This piece is mentioned in the Berliner Muntzblatter as having been in the Heuzenroeder Collection, and there marked as of the value of 4 pence. It is exactly the same size as Nos. 692 and 693, but has no indication of value on it. It has been suggested that the Heuzonroeder piece was one of the above, as they have the edge roughly milled. This would render it more easily passed for the then current groat or fourpence which was milled, and thereby distinguished easily from the threepence. This latter coin was first struck for ordinary currency in 1845, and was only tardily dis- placing the fourpence in the favour of the public. The latter has long disappeared from circulation, and none have been struck since 1856.
Mr. Heuzenroeder was a resident of North Adelaide for some years, and there formed his Collection.
