T.F. Merry & Co. - General Merchants
Description
A short biography of Merry by F. Simpson was published in the Australian Coin Review, September 1970. Simpson laid out the following chronology for Merry's life, but no sources are provided. His biography does, however, tie in with the advertisement found during research undertaken by the Museum in 2005. According to Simpson, Merry was born on March 1, 1829, in England. He migrated to Australia in 1851 and took up a position as a Draper's assistant in Hobart. In partnership with a Mr. Dunne, he ran a trading barge on the Huon River, Tasmania. After some years he travelled to England, then returned to Moreton Bay, Brisbane, arriving on January 20, 1863 on board the Flying Cloud. He started a business in Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, trading under the name 'Merry and Bush', and issued a token while in these premises. Of his presumed partner, Mr Bush, nothing is known. Eventually Merry sold the business to his assistants, Thomas Finney and James Isles. They expanded the store, and later moved to Queen Street. Their business was eventually taken over by the David Jones department store chain.
Some time later he moved to Toowoomba and established himself as a general merchant in Ruthven Street. He opened branches of his business in Warwick, Stanthorpe, Goondawindi and other Queensland locations. He was one of the first directors of the co-operative store J.P. Barnes & Co., which still existed as the Barnes Co-op in 1970. Further research in Toowoomba would no doubt reveal when Merry's store was opened, but at this stage it is unknown. No copper tokens are known to have been issued in Queensland after 1865, so it is likely that Merry had opened his Toowoomba store by that date.
T.F. Merry & Co. - General Merchants values and prices
The value of an Australian token depends on several factors such as quality and wear, supply and demand, rarity, finish and more.
- Circulated
- Uncirculated
| Varieties | AG-3 | G-4 | VG-8 | F-12 | VF-20 | EF-40 | AU-50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Penny | - | - | - | $97.00 | $243 | $473 | $974 |
| A under S | - | - | - | $35.00 | $87.50 | $212 | $530 |
| A right of S | - | - | - | $257 | $623 | $1,260 | $2,230 |
| Varieties | MS-60 | MS-62 | MS-63 | MS-64 | MS-65 | MS-66 | MS-67 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Penny | $1,600 | $2,230 | - | - | - | - | - |
| A under S | $928 | $1,330 | - | - | - | - | - |
| A right of S | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Varieties
A under S
A right of S
Specifications
Half Penny
- Issuer: Merry T.F. & Co.
- Mint : W.J.Taylor
- Denomination : Half Penny
- Composition: Copper
- Die axis: ↑↑
- Weight: 8.6 grams
- Diameter: 28 mm
- Edge: Smooth
- Renniks #: 360
- Andrews #: 368
- Gray #: 186
A under S
- Issuer: Merry T.F. & Co.
- Mint : W.J.Taylor
- Denomination : Penny
- Composition: Copper
- Die axis: ↑↑
- Weight: 15 grams
- Diameter: 34 mm
- Edge: Smooth
- Renniks #: 359
- Andrews #: 367
- Gray #: 185a
A right of S
- Issuer: Merry T.F. & Co.
- Mint : W.J.Taylor
- Denomination : Penny
- Composition: Copper
- Die axis: ↑↑
- Weight: 15 grams
- Diameter: 34 mm
- Edge: Smooth
- Renniks #: 358
- Andrews #: 366
- Gray #: 185
Last update : Tuesday, September 20, 2022
