Summary
Copper One Penny Token, minted by Stokes, Melbourne. Issued by A. Davidson, Grocer, Wine & Spirit Merchant, Melbourne, 1862. Archibald Davidson arrived in Melbourne from Girven, Ayrshire, Scotland, in October 1852. He obtained work at the Bank of Australasia in Geelong, but it is believed he then tried his luck on the goldfields. He returned to Melbourne some seven years later, first working as a bookkeeper for David Masterton & Co., before opening a Grocery and Spirit and Wine Merchant's store in Collins Street in 1860, which he ran until his retirement in 1874. After investing in the Great Extended Hustler's Reef mine at Bendigo in 1870, he made so much in dividends that he could afford to retire. Unfortunately he lost a substantial amount of his wealth in land speculation, even so, Davidson retired a wealthy man.
Physical Description
A round copper token (34 mm diameter) featuring the name, address and business of the issuer: A. Davidson, 112 Collins St. East - corner Russell St. Melbourne, grocer, wine and spirit merchant with a Stokes stock vine leaf reverse with grape vine at centre with nine 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 113 beads. This is a Stokes stock reverse, used for many trade token issuers. It is numbered in the standard catalogues as: Sharples Vine 2 = Heyde Vine 2 = Andrews 1.
Obverse Description
At centre within line circle A.DAVIDSON / 112 / COLLINS ST. EAST / CORNER / OF / RUSSELL ST. / MELBOURNE around outside line circle and within border of 111 beads, GROCER WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT :
Reverse Description
At centre within a line circle a piece of grape vine with nine 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 113 beads. This is a Stokes stock reverse, used for many trade token issuers. It is numbered in the standard catalogues as: Sharples Vine 2 = Heyde Vine 2 = Andrews 1.
Edge Description
Plain
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Mr Alfred Chitty, 15 Mar 1976
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Date Issued
1862 AD
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Issued By
A Davidson - Grocer, wine & spirit merchant, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1862
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Mint
Stokes (Mint), Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1862
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Previous Collection
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Inscriptions
Obverse: A.DAVIDSON 112 COLLINS ST. EAST CORNER OF RUSSELL ST. MELBOURNE GROCER WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT Reverse: VICTORIA 1862 IN VINO VERITAS T. STOKES MAKER MEL
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Denomination
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Series
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Material
Copper
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Axis
10
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Dimensions
34 mm (Outside Diameter), 14.445 g (Weight)
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Shape
Round
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References
A. Davidson owned the hotel next door to Thomas Stokes' mint. He made two issues of penny tokens in 1862 employing the one obverse die but two versions of the Stokes stock vine reverse - Vine 3 (see NU 3657) and Vine 2 (this token). The obverse die was later employed (c. 1920) to make a new type for collectors with the reverse of Stokes stock Arms (see NU 3654) - this is stored with other late strikes by Stokes as it is not a Nineteenth Century trade token, nor an issue commissioned by Davidson. The obverse die is in the museum collection (NU 35752)
[Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 93
[Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 54/2
[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. 57
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Keywords
