Summary

Copper Halfpenny Token minted by Heaton & Sons, Birmingham. Issued by H. Ashton, Haberdashery, Auckland, 1859. Ashton was a haberdasher and tailor and issued halfpenny and penny tokens between 1858 and 1863.

Physical Description

A round copper token (28 mm diameter) featuring the name, address and buisness that issued the tokens: H. Ashton, Queen St., Auckland Haberdashery, tailor and trimmer. The reverse depicts a female figure representing Justice seated on a wool bale with legs to left but her head and upper body to front. A wine barrel lies on the ground behind her and a three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an inverted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm bare and right draped to near the elbow. This token has been cleaned and varnished.

Obverse Description

Legend in eight lines: H.ASHTON / IMPORTER / OF / HABERDASHERY / & / TAILORS / TRIMMINGS / QUEEN ST. AUCKLAND

Reverse Description

Female figure representing Justice seated on a wool bale with legs to left but her head and upper body to front. A wine barrel lies on the ground behind her and a three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an inverted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm bare and right draped to near the elbow; above, NEW ZEALAND; in exergue, 1859.

Edge Description

Plain

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