Summary

Australia Victoria Melbourne
Crombie Clapperton & Findlay Token Halfpenny c.1854 (AD)
Mint: Reginald Scaife, Kangaroo Office
Standard References: Andrews 84 = Heyde 50/1 = Sharples V.53

Physical Description

A round copper token (28 mm diameter) giving the name and address of the issuer: Crombie Clapperton and Findlay, 41 West Lonsdale Street The token features on the reverse a kangaroo seated on its tail in grassy field facing right, around above, MELBOURNE; in exergue in four lines W.J. TAYLOR MEDALLIST TO THE GREAT EXHIBITION 1851. This is one of the stock reverse dies manufactured in London and brought to Melbourne on the Kangaroo in 1854. It suffered minor die rusting on the voyage between the letters LB of MELBOURNE

Obverse Description

At centre, 41 / WEST / LONSDALE / STREET around, CROMBIE CLAPPERTON & FINDLAY -*-; the centre of the token is poorly struck up. Border of 157 beads

Reverse Description

Kangaroo seated on tail in grassy field facing right, around above, MELBOURNE; in exergue in four lines W.J. TAYLOR MEDALLIST / TO THE GREAT / EXHIBITION / 1851.

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Public Life & Institutions, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Eugene von Guerard, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    circa 1854 AD

  • Issued By

    Crombie Clapperton & Findlay, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1854-1855

  • Mint

    Kangaroo Office (Mint), Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1854-1855

  • Previous Collection

    Eugene von Guerard, pre 1880
    Purchased by Eugene von Guerard in Melbourne.

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: CROMBIE CLAPPERTON & FINDLAY 41 WEST LONSDALE STREET Reverse: MELBOURNE W.J.TAYLOR, MEDALLIST TO THE GREAT EXHIBITION 1851

  • Denomination

    Halfpenny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    06

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    28 mm (Outside Diameter), 7.597 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Andrews 84 = Heyde 50/1 = Sharples V.53 Gardner, F., 'Trade tokens and the firms who issued them', The Australian Storekeepers and Traders Journal, 29 April 1911, p.13 (photocopy); Advertisement, Butterfield's Melbourne Commercial, Squatter's and Official Directory, 1854; Numismatics: Sharples, J., "Catalogue of Victorian Trade Tokens,' Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia, Vol. 7, December 1993, pp.31 - 32; Advertisement for Clapperton & Findlay and Co., The Age, 15 December 1856. Museum Victoria holds three of the stock kangaroo dies from the Kangaroo Office but none of them match the deterioration of this reverse. The date of issue of these tokens is derived from the time the press was available to strike them - late 1854 and the failure of the partnership, 1856.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins.
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand.
    [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.

  • Keywords

    Australian Native Animals, Exhibitions, Gold