Summary

Love token depicting a young woman (Plenty) with a bird on the obverse and the figure representing Britannia on the reverse. Made from a 1797 penny coin.

Love tokens were often commissioned by convicts before they were transported to Australia, as a memento for their loved ones. Itinerant engravers visited the prisons and hulks, finding a ready market for these tokens, which were made to order from smoothed-down coins.

Love tokens are evidence of the British Government's attitude to law and order and treatment of indentured labourers in a strict Government 'Assignment System' which provided cheap labour for the expanding British empire during the 1700s and 1800s.

Physical Description

Coin with original obverse of George III removed. Design shows a young woman holding scales and a possibly a wheel with a cornucopia under one arm, with a bird with outstretched wings. Decorative floral background. Reverse shows Britannia. The reverse is damaged in the centre.

Obverse Description

Young woman (Plenty) holding scales and a wheel (?) with a cornucopia under one arm, with a bird with outstretched wings. Decorative floral background.

Reverse Description

Britannia seated left holding branch and trident, ship on horizon at left. Text around rim 'BRITANNIA 1797', incuse on raised rim.

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