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.
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 a 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
-
Collecting Areas
-
Acquisition Information
Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Mr Alfred Chitty, 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
-
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
-
Series
-
Material
Copper
-
Axis
06
-
Classification
-
Category
-
Discipline
-
Type of item
-
Dimensions
34 mm (Outside Diameter), 19.455 g (Weight)
-
Shape
Round
-
References
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.
[Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 119
[Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 67
[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. 65a
-
Keywords