Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by Thomas Stokes, Melbourne. Issued by Miller Brothers, Coach Builders, Melbourne, 1862. William Miller, a 24 year-old native of Belfast in Northern Ireland, arrived in Australia in November 1857. On board with him was one Nancy Miller, aged 22. William was a coachbuilder, and continued in that trade in Melbourne. After a year or so his brothers, John, Hercules, William and George, joined him in Melbourne. In 1865 only three of the brothers were listed, John had apparently departed. In 1868 Hercules' was the only name associated with the business, In 1869 William returned to the business and was the sole person associated with the listing in 1870. William Miller left Melbourne, and started another coach building business, this time in Bendigo. He ran his business there for twenty years before returning to Melbourne and establishing business in South Melbourne.

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter) giving the name address and business of the issuer: Miller Brothers, Melbourne, coach builders. It features a side view of a buggy on the obverse and Stokes stock vine reverse.

Obverse Description

At centre a buggy with COACH above and BUILDERS below; around, MILLER BROTHERS MELBOURNE

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

  • Collection Names

    Alfred Chitty Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Transport, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

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

  • Date Issued

    1862 AD

  • Issued By

    Miller Brothers, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1862

  • Mint

    Stokes (Mint), Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1862

  • Previous Collection

    Mr Alfred Chitty

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: MILLER BROTHERS MELBOURNE COACH BUILDERS Reverse: VICTORIA 1862 IN VINO VERITAS T. STOKES MAKER MEL.

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    05

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 15.356 g (Weight)
    This is a light Stokes "late" weight issue. See Sharples JNAA7, p.50

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Biography: Gardner, F., Trade tokens and the firms who issued them, The Australian Storekeepers and Traders Journal, 31 May 1911, pp.13 - 14 (photocopy); Immigration records: Internet index to Unassisted Immigrants to Victoria from British Ports, VPRS 7666 (printout);Sharples, J., 'Catalogue of Victorian Trade Tokens' in Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia, Vol. 7, December 1993, pp.50 - 51; Advertisement, The Argus, 22 November 1861. p.8; Advertisement, Sands and McDougall's Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1863, advertisements p.34; Advertisement, Sands and McDougall's Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1869, advertisements p.42. Only one obverse die was needed to strike the series of trade tokens for Miller Brothers. It was combined with four of Stokes stock reverses. See Sharples JNAA 7 p. 50-1 for an analysis of the issue.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 371
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 173/1
    [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. 111

  • Keywords

    Coachbuilders, Horsedrawn Vehicles