Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted Thomas Stokes, Melbourne. Issued by Evans & Foster, Booksellers & Stationers, Melbourne, 1862. Hugh C. Evans, aged 47, arrived in Melbourne on board the King Fisher in July 1857. By 1858, Evans had established himself as a 'publisher and bookseller' at 94 Bourke Street East. He ran the business without a partner from this address until 1861. In 1859, 1860 and 1861 he placed advertisements in Melbourne Directories, drawing readers' attention to his 'Cheap book and stationery warehouse.' His services included bookbinding, engraving, copperplate printing, a circulating library and a range of cheap sheet music. In 1861 Evans moved his business to 78 Bourke Street East and made Oswald Foster a partner in the new business. In the Sands and McDougall directory for 1862 they described themselves as 'Booksellers, Stationers and Circulating Library.' The business was not listed after 1867.

Previous Collections: George McArthur

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter) giving the name address and business of the issuer: Evans & Foster, 78 Bourke St. East, Melbourne, Booksellers & Stationers. The reverse features an emu standing facing left in front of a rising sun with thirteen long light rays. Below on a scroll the motto ADVANCE VICTORIA with no flowers emerging below scroll. Around above, VICTORIA . 1862, around below in two lines, T. STOKES _ MAKER / 100 COLLINS ST. EAST MELBOURNE.

Obverse Description

At centre in five lines, EVANS / & / FOSTER / 78 / BOURKE ST. / EAST around, BOOKSELLERS & STATIONERS : MELBOURNE : border of 118 beads. There is no die crack along the tops of the letters BOOK.

Reverse Description

At centre an emu standing facing left in front of a rising sun with thirteen long light rays. Below on a scroll the motto ADVANCE VICTORIA with no flowers emerging below scroll. Around above, VICTORIA . 1862, around below in two lines, T. STOKES _ MAKER / 100 COLLINS ST. EAST MELBOURNE. Border of 122 beads, the head of the emu over the 6th ray. Stock die references: Andrews 17 = Heyde Emu 1 = Sharples Emu 1

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collection Names

    McArthur Bequest

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), George McArthur, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    1862 AD

  • Issued By

    Evans & Foster, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1862

  • Mint

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

  • Previous Collection

    George McArthur

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: EVANS & FOSTER 78 BOURKE ST. EAST BOOKSELLERS & STATIONERS MELBOURNE Reverse: VICTORIA 1862 ADVANCE VICTORIA T. STOKES MAKER 100 COLLINS ST. EAST MELBOURNE

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    06

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    33 mm (Outside Diameter), 14.501 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    -Gardner, F..'Trade tokens and the firms who issued them.' The Australian Storekeepers and Traders Journal. 28 February 1911: p.11 (photocopy); -Sharples, J.. "Catalogue of Victorian Trade Tokens." Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia. Vol. 7. December 1993: p. 35; -Advertisement. Sands and McDougall Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1860: p.29; -Advertisement. Sands and McDougall Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1859: p.36; -Advertisement, Sands and McDougall Commercial and General Melbourne Directory for 1861: p.35; -Public Records Office of Victoria , internet index to Unassisted Immigration to Victoria 1852 - 1923. VPRS 7666; - Hope, John. History of Evans and Foster. Unpublished MSS. 2005: 2pps. The Evans and Foster issue was struck with a single obverse die (NU 35761). In 1862 the work began on thin copper blanks (see NU 3700 with no die crack - wt 14.501 g). Later thick blanks were introduced perhaps because the die had cracked (this token - wt. 19.445 g). In about 1920 the die was re-used to make collector pieces linked to a different stock emu die (NU 3699) on all of these I have seen the die crack had caused the rim to break away as can be seen on the die. John Sharples 21 Oct 2004
    [Thesis] Lugton, Mary E. 1989. George McArthur of Maldon: his Life and his Book Collection.
    [Catalogue] Morrison, Ian. 2003. The Baker of Maldon.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 119
    [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. 65b
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 67

  • Keywords

    Bookshops, Libraries, Stationers