Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by Heaton & Sons, Birmingham. Issued by Martin & Sach, Ironmongers, Adelaide, South Australia, circa 1858. The earliest reference to Martin & Sach was found in the 1854 Royal South Australian Almanac, when they were listed as Ironmongers of Hindley Street. The earliest advertisement located for Martin and Sach was not for their role as Ironmongers, but an 1862 entry for their role as the 'Wholesale agents for South Australia' for Lea and Perrins' Worcestershire Sauce (The South Australian Advertiser, 6 January 1862, p. 1). In 1867 they took out a half page advertisement in the National Directory of South Australia for 1867 - 1868, listing a huge range of commercial and domestic ironmongery, as well as the sauce mentioned above. In 1870 Martin and Sach do not appear in the Adelaide Almanac, Town and Country Directory and Guide to South Australia, but in the following year's edition 'F & S Sach, Ironmongers' took out a full page advertisement for their business at 58 Rundle Street. It seems likely that Sach established his own business after the end of his partnership with Martin.

Previouse Collections: Melbourne Mint

Physical Description

A round copper trade token (34 mm diameter) giving the name, address and business of the issuing firm: Martin & Sach, Adelaide, Ironmongers. The reverse features a female figure representing Justice standing facing 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 among the fruit the letter G. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm is draped to near the elbow while drapery falls from her extended arm to below the horizon line behind; around above, AUSTRALIA. A three-masted sailing ship on horizon at left of token.

Obverse Description

MARTIN & SACH / IRONMONGERS / . ADELAIDE .

Reverse Description

Female figure representing Justice standing facing 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 among the fruit the letter G. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm is draped to near the elbow while drapery falls from her extended arm to below the horizon line behind; around above, AUSTRALIA. A three-masted sailing ship on horizon at left of token.

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from Melbourne Branch of Royal Mint, 1978

  • Date Issued

    circa 1858 AD

  • Issued By

    Martin & Sach, Ironmongers, Adelaide, Greater Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 1850-1867

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: MARTIN & SACH IRONMONGERS ADELAIDE Reverse: AUSTRALIA G

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - south australia, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 15.21 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    To produce this token issue a single obverse was combined with three stock standing Justice reverse dies. The simplest way to identify the reverse dies is by measuring the distance between the first A of Australia and the horizon line of the ocean. In addition, the extension of the scale bar and the die alignment can be used. The dies are: Die Distance A to Sea Scale Bar Die Alignment 1 9.3 mm Top of A 06 2 6.8 mm Through U 12 3 8.4 mm Base of U 12 These die identifications form the basis of standard references and the museum's storage system. This token was struck with the die combination A/2.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 350
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 161/1

  • Keywords

    Ironmongers, Law & Justice