Summary

Bronze One Penny Token, minted by Heaton & Sons, Birmignham. Issued by J.R. Grundy, Tobacco Merchant, Ballarat, 1861. John R. Grundy, arrived in Melbourne in January 1855. He opened a tobacconist's shop in 1856, in Ballarat, and was the principal tobacconist in the town. Gardner states that Grundy lost his shop in 1872 after speculating heavily. Afterwards he made his living by selling 'colonial cigars' in Melbourne and died in straightened circumstances in the early 1900s.

Previous Collections: Hon William M.K. Vale

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The token features the name address and business of the issuer: J.R. Grundy Ballarat (in Ballaarat form) Merchant together with a tobacco plant The reverse features a Coat of Arms consisting of a central shield below a Rising Sun 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 an anchor. This token is damaged and is concave when viewed from the reverse.

Obverse Description

Tobacco plant; below in small letters, TOBACCO around, J.R. GRUNDY, MERCHANT, BALLAARAT . 1861 .

Reverse Description

Coat of Arms consisting of a central shield below a Rising Sun 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 an anchor; around, INDUSTRIA ET FIDES OMNIA VINCENT . VICTORIA .

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Sustainable Futures, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

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

  • Date Issued

    1861 AD

  • Issued By

    J R. Grundy - Tobacco Merchant, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 1861

  • Mint

    Heaton & Sons (Mint)

  • Previous Collection

    Honourable William M. Vale JP

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: J.R. GRUNDY MERCHANT BALLAARAT 1861 TOBACCO Reverse: INDUSTRIA ET FIDES OMNIA VINCENT VICTORIA ADVANCE AUSTRALIA

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Bronze

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 14.932 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Grundy issued two quite different token designs dated 1861. The first (this token) depicted a tobacco plant growing from grassy ground combined with a Coat of Arms while the second (see NU 3768) depicted a cut stalk of flowering tobacco and a standing figure representing Justice. This issue employed two slightly different reverse dies which can be differentiated by the spacing of the lettering around the rim - in particular the distance from the bead before the word VICTORIA and the V is 3.4 mm on Reverse 1 but only 2.1 mm on Reverse 2. A quick test for Reverse 2 is that the bead to the left of the V has been entered over a letter I. This token was struck with Reverse 1
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 155
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 87/1
    [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. 1

  • Keywords

    Retail Trade, Retailing, Tobacco