Summary

Copper one Penny Token, minted by Stokes & Son of Melbourne. Issued by Henry J. Hall, Christchurch, New Zealand. This token is a late strike, it was struck, circa 1920. Henry Hall was a grocer, wine and spirit merchant and ran a coffee mill. He arranged for two mints to strike tokens, W.J. Taylor in London, and Stokes in Melbourne. In both cases the mint retained the dies and later employed them to manufacture restrikes of original pieces, new combinations of dies and, in Taylor's case, mules with dies from other token issuers. Hall issued nineteen penny token varieties, and three halfpennies. They were very simply designed, with text and no graphic elements.

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The token features the name and business of the issuer: H.J. Hall, Christchurch coffee mills, family grocer, wine and spirit merchant. It is a late strike from corroded dies and has been cleaned and varnished.

Obverse Description

Across centre, H.J. HALL around above and below, CHRISTCHURCH COFFEE MILLS the stops after H and J are square, the die was much corroded resulting in extensive raised surface spotting.

Reverse Description

Across centre, H.J. HALL around above and below, FAMILY GROCER : WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT :

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

Hall arranged for two mints to strike tokens, W.J. Taylor in London (characterised by bars above and below the name), and later by Stokes in Melbourne. In both cases the mint retained the dies and later employed them to manufacture restrikes of original pieces, new combinations of dies and, in Taylor's case, mules with dies from other token issuers. This piece is from the dies that remained at Stokes and were used for re-strikes and concoctions in about 1920. This token is one of those late strikes, characterized by extensive rusting of the obverse die. See notes tab for details of die identification. This die combination, H/9 probably only occurs as a late strike.

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