The United Service Hotel was located at the corner of Queen and Wellesley Streets, Auckland. Despite being burned to the ground in a fire that swept through that section of the city in September 1873, the hotel was rebuilt and two penny varieties of tokens were issued from that address in 1874.

In the 1880s H.N. Abbott was the licensee at the address 239-241 Queen Street, and Robinson records that 'It is said that Abbott conducted illegal sweeps or 'consultations' at a time when this was legal, and when made illegal he went to Tasmania.' (Robinson). In 1974, at the time of that research, the building was still trading as a hotel, but its entrance was located on Wellesley Street.

From a reference later in Robinson's article, it seems that another issuer, Morris Marks, had his pawnbroker's business diagonally opposite the United Service Hotel.

The hotel's tokens were struck by an unknown British Mint, according to the Museum Victoria Catalogue.

References:
Robinson, H.A. (1974). 'Auckland Tradesmen's Tokens.' The New Zealand Numismatic Journal, May, p.141.

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