Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by W.J. Taylor, London. Issued by E. De Carle & Co, Merchants, Dunedin, circa 1862. De Carle arrived in Australia in 1849. Over the following fourteen years he was involved in a wide range of business ventures in Melbourne, taking advantage of the explosive growth caused by the gold rush. He later moved to New Zealand, where established this business. Lampard (p.40) reports that De Carle wrote to the 'Daily Telegraph' on 18 Feb 1862 to advise the public that his tokens would circulate as halfpennies not as pennies. De Carle's three different tokens, which featured his business as 'Grocers and Spirit Merchants,' 'Auctioneers and Land Agents' and 'Auctioneers, etc.,' indicated the range of his business activities and speculation. He was also involved in the urbanisation of Footscray and a section of Brunswick. De Carle operated his businesses with a number of partners, in a network of business dealings.

Physical Description

A round copper token (31 mm diameter). The token features the name, address and business of the issuer: E. DeCarle & Co., Merchants, Dunedin, Otago around the British Royal Arms. The reverse depicts a 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 away to the leftt 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.

Obverse Description

Around the British Royal Arms in a Gothic script, E DE CARLE & CO MERCHANTS . DUNEDIN OTAGO with the motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE

Reverse Description

A 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 away to the left 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, VIVANT REGINA in exergue, 1862

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Royal Melbourne Mint Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from Melbourne Branch of Royal Mint, 11 Jan 1978

  • Date Issued

    1862 AD

  • Issued By

    E. De Carle & Co. Merchants, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand, 1862

  • Mint

    W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, England, Great Britain, 1862

  • Previous Collection

    Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: E DE CARLE & CO MERCHANTS DUNEDIN OTAGO HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE Reverse: VIVAT REGINA 1862

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, New zealand, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    31 mm (Outside Diameter), 9.412 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    The DeCarle, Dunedin issue of tokens required one obverse and three reverse dies for it's production. Identification of the die combination employed to make a particular token is the key to both the standard references and the museum storage system. The dies can be recognised by: Obverse A D of DUNEDIN re-entered Reverse T to R top of scales to Die cracked 1 2.0 mm 1.2 mm below V right side of A of REGINA 2 2.8 mm V to scales etc. 3 3.0 mm 0.5 mm below V to right shoulder of Justice The following die combinations have been recorded: A/1, A/2, A/3 (this token)
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 101
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 60/3
    [Book] Lampard, William H. 1981. Catalogue of New Zealand Coins Tokens Bank Notes., No. 315b
    [Book] Humberstone, Vaughn. 2010. Merchants Making Money.

  • Keywords

    Retail Trade, Retailing