Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by Thomas Stokes, Melbourne. Issued by Crothers & Co, Tea Merchants & Storekeepers, Stawell, circa 1862. The three Crothers brothers, William, David and Hugh, arrived from Canada in August 1854. The brothers travelled the country (most likely trying their luck at the various gold fields) for ten years before deciding to open a store at Stawell. They opened their store in Main Street, Stawell in 1865. After a number of years David left the partnership and opened his own store in Melbourne. The other brothers continued their business until they retired in 1900. In 1910 William was living in Armadale, Hugh was in Stawell and David still running his own business, was in Oakleigh. They issued their tokens after they became illegal, the first penny and the halfpenny being issued in 1865, with the other two tokens issued in later years.

Previous Collections: George McArthur

Physical Description

A round bronze token (31 mm diameter). The token features the name, address and business of the issuer: Crothers & Co., The Original Cash Store, Main St. Stawell, Tea Merchants, General Storekeepers. The obverse die had chipped below the letters RAL STOREKEEPERS when this token was struck.

Obverse Description

Across centre in two lines, CROTHERS / & CO. around above, TEA MERCHANTS around below, & GENERAL STOREKEEPERS

Reverse Description

Legend in five lines, THE / ORIGINAL / CASH STORE / MAIN ST. / STAWELL The number 304 in ink in the field to left of THE

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collection Names

    McArthur Bequest

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), George McArthur, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    circa 1862 AD

  • Issued By

    Crothers & Co., Stawell, Victoria, Australia, circa 1862

  • Mint

    Stokes (Mint), Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1862

  • Previous Collection

    George McArthur

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: CROTHERS & CO. TEA MERCHANTS GENERAL STOREKEEPERS Reverse: THE ORIGINAL CASH STORE MAIN ST. STAWELL

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Bronze

  • Axis

    06

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    31 mm (Outside Diameter), 8.995 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    -Gardner, F.. 'Trade tokens and the firms who issued them.' The Australian Storekeepers and Traders Journal. 30 September 1910: p.9; -Index to Unassisted Immigration, VPRS 7666, internet resource; -Sharples, J.. "Catalogue of Victorian Trade Tokens." Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia. Vol. 7. December 1993: pp.75 - 76. -Hope, John. Crothers & Co. Unpublished MSS. 2005: 2pp. There were two obverse dies employed for this issue that can be identified by the spacing of letters, most simply: Obverse A: & to C is 1.4 mm Obverse B: & to C is 0.6 mm These dies are the basis of standard catalogue discriptions and museum storage. This token was struck with Obverse A.
    [Article] Sharples, John P. 1993. A Catalogue of the Trade Tokens of Victoria 1848 to 1862. Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia. vol.7: p.1-77., V. 201
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 51/1
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 86

  • Keywords

    Retail Trade, Retailing, Tea Trade