Summary

This copper Halfpenny mule token was minted by W.J. Taylor of London. It is a E. F. Dease Token Halfpenny, issued in Launceston, Tasmania in 1855 muled with a O.H. Hedberg Token Halfpenny, issued in Hobart, Tasmania, circa 1875. Taylor retained the dies for both tokens and used them to make mules in the 1880s. This token was struck with with the die combination of Hedberg of Hobart and E.F. Dease of Launceston obverses. The British museum also has an example which it received in 1878.

Dease was a wholesale and retail draper in Launceston. He issued token penny and halfpenny pieces, from his store 'The Golden Fleece' in 1855.

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.

Physical Description

A round copper token (28 mm diameter) featuring a Tasmanian and a New Zealand die pairing. It gives the name address and business of two issuers: O.H. Hedberg, Argyle St. Hobart Ton (sic) oil & color stores (traditionally termed the obverse) and the reverse of a Dease token featuring a Golden Fleece with the Latin motto SIC VOS NON VOBIS VELLERA FERTIS OVES. The reverse die had an edge chip when this piece was struck.

Obverse Description

Across centre in two lines, O.H. HEDBERG around, ARGYLE ST. HOBART TON * OIL & COLOR STORES *

Reverse Description

Golden Fleece with the Latin motto SIC VOS NON VOBIS VELLERA FERTIS OVES. The reverse die had an edge chip when this piece was struck.

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Purchase from Max Stern & Co. Ltd, 1976

  • Date Issued

    circa 1860 AD

  • Issued By

    O H Hedberg, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

  • Mint

    W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, England, Great Britain, 1855-1877

  • Commissioned By

    O H Hedberg, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
    Hedberg commissioned the die employed to manufacture this piece. It is unlikley that he authorised its use for the manufacture of it.

  • Commissioned By

    Edward Francis Dease - The Golden Fleece, Hobart, Greater Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 1855-1877
    Dease commissioned the die employed to manufacture this piece. It is unlikley that he authorised its use for the manufacture of it.

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: O.H. HEDBERG ARGYLE ST. HOBART TON OIL & COLOR STORES Reverse: SIC VOS NON VOBIS VELLERA FERTIS OVES

  • Denomination

    Halfpenny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    06

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - tasmania, Mule strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    28 mm (Outside Diameter), 8.577 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    The obverse die is in the museum collection (NU 35771) as is Reverse 2 (NU 35772). Although the working face of the obverse is undamaged the main body of the die is surrounded by a series of deep indentations apparently made while trying to fix the die in the press. This is the only die in the collection so damaged and suggests that the steel was soft. This could explain the existance of the trade tokens made with Reverse 2 and Stokes stock die (Sharples Arms 6 = Heyde Arms 5), it may have become impossible to clamp the obverse die in the press so the order was filled with a stock die - the use of two reverses creating a trade token without the issuers name.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 212
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 37
    [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.

  • Keywords

    Mule Tokens, Retail Trade, Retailing