Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by Heaton & Sons, Birmingham. Issued by E. De Carle & Co, Grocers & Spirit Merchant, Melbourne, in 1855. 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 he died. 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.

Previous Collections: Hon. William M.K. Vale

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter) giving the name address and business of the issuer: E. DeCarle & Co, Queen's Royal Arcade, auctioneers and land agents in two concentric lines agound a central figure of a lion standing facing left with front paw on a shield. The token reverse features 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 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. It is dated 1855 in the exergue.

Obverse Description

At centre a male lion standing to left with head crowned facing front, its right paw is raised and rests on a shield bearing the Union Jack, its tail curved back over its body. Around in two concentric circles, E.DE CARLE & CO. AUCTIONEERS & LAND AGENTS. / QUEEN'S ROYAL ARCADE OFFICE +

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, its end decorated with a cross perhaps to hint at a Union Jack (as found beside Britannia on the copper coins of the period). A three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the left. Justice 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, 1855

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Honourable William M. Vale JP, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    1855 AD

  • Issued By

    E. De Carle & Co., Melbourne & Plenty, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1855

  • Mint

    Heaton & Sons (Mint), Birmingham, England, Great Britain, 1855
    There remains some confusion about these stock types, although the obverse seems certainly cut by Heaton's the reverse seems generally associated with Taylor in London. It should be remembered that the dies belonged to the company who commissioned them and could subsequently be sent to other mints.

  • Previous Collection

    Honourable William M. Vale JP

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: E.DE CARLE & CO. AUCTIONEERS & LAND AGENTS QUEEN'S ROYAL ARCADE OFFICE Reverse: MELBOURNE VICTORIA 1855

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    33 mm (Outside Diameter), 15.007 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Description of Queens Arcade: Kelly, W., Life in Victoria, 1858, pp. 307 - 311; Advertisement, Sands and Kenny's Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1858, unnumbered page; Sands and McDougall's Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1862, advertisements p.33. E. DeCarle & Co. arranged for three issues of trade token pennies. His first, as a grocer and spirit merchant (see NU 3679) was probably isssued in about 1853 - it was struck by Pope & Co with the same reverse die employed for the issue of I. Booth & Co (see NU 3569). His second issue was commissioned in 1855 from Heaton & Sons, Birmingham or W.J. Taylor of London featured a lion and seated Justice (this token). His final issue, also of 1855 has a seated figure of Tasmania on the reverse although it was struck for him as a Melbourne auctioneer (see NU 3681). There is also a rare pattern for this final issue which featured a portrait of Lord Raglan (not held).
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 103
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 63
    [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., V. 59 and V.7
    [Article] Gardner, F. 1965. Trade Tokens and the Firms that Issued Them. Report of the Australian Numismatic Society. XXX, p.10 Pages

  • Keywords

    Auctioneers, Gold, Land Agents