Summary
Copper one Penny mule token, minted by W.J. Taylor of London. It was struck with the die combination B/Seated Justice and O.H. Hedberg. It was probably made in the 1870s by Taylor's son, who is reported to have experimented with different dies as part of his training.
Hedburg was originally from Sweden but settled in Hobart in 1844 and became involved in the whaling industry. After the decline of the whaling industry in the mid-1850s, he opened a business as a produce merchant and commission agent in Argyle Street, Hobart, it is from this business his tokens were issued.
Hedberg's main issue was quite standard, being a penny and a halfpenny. However it is confused by the existence of a large number of patterns, mules and late strikes. The regular series of issued tokens had no pictorial element. A second group of penny token patterns offered a variety of forms of the seated Australia while the third group, provide a variety of mules in both penny and halfpenny denominations and should be considered late strikes.
Previous Collections: National Gallery of Victoria (Yelland ?)
Physical Description
A round copper token (34 mm diameter) giving the name, address and business of : O.H. Hedberg, Argyle St. Hobart Ton (sic), Oil & Colour Store together with a seated figure of Justice from a die designed for use in Melbourne, Victoria. These dies should not have been used together, the obverse die was polished till the O of O.H. was almost removed.
Obverse Description
At centre, O.H. / HEDBERG curved above, OIL & COLOUR STORE curved below, ARGYLE ST. HOBART TON
Reverse Description
Female figure representing Justice seated on a wool bale with legs to left but her head and upper body to front. A wine barrel lies on the ground behind her and a three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an inverted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm bare and right draped to near the elbow. Around above, MELBOURNE VICTORIA in exergue, 1860
Edge Description
Plain
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Transfer from Melbourne Branch of Royal Mint, 11 Jan 1978
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Date Issued
circa 1870 AD
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Issued By
O H Hedberg, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 1860-1880
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Mint
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Previous Collection
Dr Alfred A.W. Yelland
Possibly previously from Yelland Collection? -
Previous Collection
Numismatics Collection, National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), circa 1933?-1976
National Gallery of Victoria (possibly from Yelland Collection?) -
Inscriptions
Obverse: O.H. HEDBERG OIL & COLOUR STORE ARGYLE ST. HOBART TON Reverse: MELBOURNE VICTORIA 1860
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Denomination
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Series
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Material
Copper
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Axis
06
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Dimensions
34 mm (Outside Diameter), 15.596 g (Weight)
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Shape
Round
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References
This mule was struck with Hedberg's Obverse B and the Seated Justice 1860 Melbourne Victoria die manufactured for the issues of A.G. Hodgson (Reverse 2) and John Andrews. The British Museum received donations of various Taylor patterns etc. for Hedberg in the 1860' and 1870s, hence the suggested date of circa 1870. This type however was not among those donated to the BM. Die identification for the regular series penny Obverse top bar O.H. HEDBERG & C A relationship to H Border beads A 6.0 mm 10.0 mm 21.2 mm 1.0 mm points to top 167 B 6.0 mm 11.0 mm 20.0 mm 1.2 mm points above top 162 C 5.0 mm 10.5 mm 20.4 mm 2.2 mm points to top 167 Reverse PENNY G to * Border Beads 1 14.9 mm 0.5 mm 165 2 16.3 mm 1.2 mm 165
[Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., no. 199
[Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., related to no. 36
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