Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by Thomas Stokes, Melbourne. Originally issued by W.R. Watson & Co, Town Hall Hotel, Ballarat, Victoria, 1862. This token is a late strike, it was struck circa 1918 for collectors. W.R. Watson is listed as the owner of Town Hall Hotel, Armstrong Street in the 1865 Ballarat Directory. An advertisement in the Ballarat Evening Post, January 1864 read 'Town Hall Hotel, and Wine and Spirit Stores, Armstrong Street. The Cheapest House in Ballarat. Single Bottle Department. Brandy 5s-, Gin 4s, Rum 3s, Whiskey 3s. Per bottle. Every article sold as imported. W.R. Watson and Co. Proprietors'.

Physical Description

A round bronze token (34 mm diameter). The token features the name, address and business of the issuer: W.R. Watson & Co. Town Hall Hotel, Armstrong Street, Ballarat, wine & spirits merchants. The reverse features section of grape vine, from a Stokes stock die - Sharples Vine 3 = Heyde Vine 3 = Andrews 7 - it is dated 1862, but was employed in a deteriorated state to manufacture this piece

Obverse Description

TOWN HALL HOTEL/WINE & SPIRIT/W.WATSON&CO./MERCHANTS/ ARMSTRONG ST. BALLARAT

Reverse Description

At centre within a line circle a piece of grape vine with eleven large leaves and two bunches of grapes, below, but still within the line circle the manufacturers name T. STOKES MAKER MEL.; around above, VICTORIA . 1862, around below the Latin IN VINO VERITAS. Border of 116 beads. This is a Stokes stock reverse, used for many trade token issuers. It is numbered in the standard catalogues as: Sharples Vine 3 = Heyde Vine 3 = Andrews 7.

Edge Description

plain

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