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

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