Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by W.J. Taylor, London. Issued by T.F. Merry & Co, General Merchants, Toowoomba, Queensland, circa 1863. A short biography of Merry by F. Simpson was published in the Australian Coin Review, September 1970. According to Simpson, Merry was born on 1 March 1829 in England. Migrating to Australia in 1851, he worked as a a Draper's assistant in Hobart, before moving to Brisbane, where he established a store which he later sold. Some time later he moved to Toowoomba and established himself as a general merchant, he opened branches of his business in Warwick, Stanthorpe, Goondawindi and other Queensland locations. He was one of the first directors of the co-operative store J.P. Barnes & Co., which still existed as the Barnes Co-op in 1970.

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The token design featuring the name, business and Town of the issuer: T.F. Merry & Co. general merchants, Toowoomba and on the reverse a Coat of Arms consisting of a central shield below a Rising Sun and supported by an emu at left and kangaroo at right all resting on a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE AUSTRALIA. The shield is quartered and contains: upper left - a golden fleece; upper right - a three-masted sailing ship; lower left - a bull standing facing left; lower right a anchor. There is the number 372 written in ink twice on the obverse fields, an attempt seems to have been made to remove these by abrasion.

Obverse Description

T.F.MERRY / GENERAL / MERCHANTS / TOOWOOMBA the first and last lines being curved

Reverse Description

At centre Coat of Arms consisting of a central shield below a Rising Sun and supported by an emu at left and kangaroo at right all resting on a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE AUSTRALIA. The shield is quartered and contains: upper left - a golden fleece; upper right - a three-masted sailing ship; lower left - a bull standing facing left; lower right a anchor. Above, PEACE & PLENTY

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Alfred Chitty Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Mr Alfred Chitty, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    circa 1863 AD

  • Issued By

    Merry T.F. & Co., General Merchants, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, circa 1863

  • Mint

    W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, England, Great Britain, circa 1863

  • Previous Collection

    Mr Alfred Chitty

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: T.F.MERRY & Co. GENERAL MERCHANTS TOOWOOMBA Reverse: PEACE & PLENTY ADVANCE AUSTRALIA

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - queensland, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 14.73 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Advertisement, The Courier, Brisbane, 13 February 1863, p.1. Simpson, F., 'T.F. Merry', The Australian Coin Review, September 1970, p.23 W.J. Taylor employed two slightly different obverse dies to manufacture tokens for T.F. Merry & Co together with one stock Arms reverse. Obverse die A cracked initially from the rims at 03 & 09 but later through most of the word TOOWOOMBA (see NU 11420). The new die, Obverse B was then needed to complete the order. The differences between the dies (other than the die cracking when present) were slight and are best tested by measurement of the following: Die GENERAL space between GENERAL and MERCHANTS Border dots A 17.5 mm 2.8 mm 130 B 18.0 mm 3.3 mm 129 In addition there is a slight difference in the alignment of letters. For example a line down the left edge of the verticle stroke of the L of GENERAL would pass down the left side of the letter T below it on Obverse A but down the right side on Obverse B. This token was struck from die B
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 366
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 169/1