Summary

Copper one Penny Token, minted by Stokes & Son of Melbourne. Issued by Henry J. Hall, Christchurch, New Zealand. This token is a late strike, it was struck, circa 1920. Henry Hall was a grocer, wine and spirit merchant and ran a coffee mill. He arranged for two mints to strike tokens, W.J. Taylor in London, and Stokes in Melbourne. Hall issued nineteen penny token varieties, and three halfpennies. They were very simply designed, with text and no graphic elements.

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The token features the name and business of the issuer: H.J. Hall, Christchurch coffee mills, family grocer, wine and spirit merchant. It is a late strike from corroded dies.

Obverse Description

Across centre, H.J. HALL around above and below, CHRISTCHURCH COFFEE MILLS the stops after H and J are round, the die was much corroded resulting in extensive raised surface spotting.

Reverse Description

Across centre, H.J. HALL around above and below, FAMILY GROCER : WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT :

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 1920 AD

  • Issued By

    Henry J Hall - Christchurch Coffee Mills, New Zealand

  • Mint

    Stokes & Sons, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1920

  • Commissioned By

    Henry J Hall - Christchurch Coffee Mills, Christchurch, Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand, circa 1920

  • Previous Collection

    Mr Alfred Chitty

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: H.J. HALL CHRISTCHURCH COFFEE MILLS Reverse: H.J. HALL FAMILY GROCER WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens late strikes

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, New zealand, Late strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 15.405 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Hall employed two mints to strike his tokens, W.J. Taylor and Stokes. Both firms later employed the dies to make restrikes and concoctions for collectors. This token is a Stokes late strike for details of Taylor's products, referred to in the catalogues as 'with bars' see NU 3781. This token is one of those late strikes, characterized by extensive rusting of the obverse die. This die combination, H/9 probably only occurs as a late strike.Die identification is the basis of standard references and the museum storage system. This is a Stokes product 'without bars' the dies are: Obverse H.J. HALL Stops after H.J. G 26.1 mm round H 23.2 mm square Reverse H.J. HALL Stops after H.J. Other 7 23.0 mm round J tilted left L of HALL above middle of N 8 23.8 mm round 9 23.0 mm round J upright L of HALL to bottom on N 10 22.0 mm round 11 22.0 mm square
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 173
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand.
    [Book] Lampard, William H. 1981. Catalogue of New Zealand Coins Tokens Bank Notes.
    [Book] Humberstone, Vaughn. 2010. Merchants Making Money.

  • Keywords

    Late Strikes