Summary

Copper one Penny token, minted by Thomas Stokes of Melbourne, circa 1862. Issued by Thomas Stokes, Diesinker, Token Maker & Medallist, Melbourne. This token is one of the large number of anonymous tokens struck by Stokes late in 1862. Anonymous issues were manufactured employing two stock dies. Thomas Stokes migrated to Australia in search of gold in the 1850s, being unsuccessful he returned to his trade as a die-maker and button maker. In 1857 Stokes acquired a press from W.J. Taylor and began to mint large numbers of tradesmen's tokens. He also commenced the Australian Medallic Issues. In 1873 Stokes took a partner, Martin, and the business was re-named Stokes & Martin. In 1893 a disastrous fire damaged a large portion of the business, Martin had forgotten to renew the fire insurance policy, and the partnership was dissolved as a result. Stokes rebuilt the business as Stokes & Son. The business became a proprietary concern in 1911, re-named Stokes & Son Pty Ltd. In 1935 the business moved to Brunswick, and in 1962 Stokes became a public company, renamed Stokes (Australasia) Pty Ltd. Today the business is located in Ringwood.

Previous Collections: Hon William M.K. Vale

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter). There is no name of issuer or mint. The obverse (so called as all 'anonymous' issues by Stokes have a version of it) is the stock Vine: at centre within a line circle a piece of grape vine with leaves and two bunches of grapes; around above, VICTORIA . 1862, around below the Latin IN VINO VERITAS. The reverse is from a stock wheat sheaf die: At centre a wheat sheaf tied with a cord; above, ADVANCE AUSTRALIA below, 1862.

Obverse Description

At centre within a line circle a piece of grape vine with eleven large and three small leaves and two bunches of grapes; around above, VICTORIA . 1862, around below the Latin IN VINO VERITAS. This is a Stokes stock reverse it is numbered in the standard catalogues as: Sharples Vine 8 = Heyde Vine 9 = Andrews 6.

Reverse Description

At centre a wheat sheaf tied with a cord 4.7 mm long, above, ADVANCE AUSTRALIA; below, 1862 border of 114 beads. (Stock reverse Andrews type 21 = Heyde Sheaf 1 = Sharples Sheaf 1).

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Honourable William M. Vale JP, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    1862 AD

  • Issued By

    Thomas Stokes, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Mint

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

  • Previous Collection

    Honourable William M. Vale JP

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: VICTORIA . 1862 IN VINO VERITAS Reverse: ADVANCE AUSTRALIA 1862

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    10

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 12.788 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Stokes products which do not carry the name of an issuer but only reference to Stokes itself, are divided into four series: Series 1: has the wording T. STOKES or THOMAS STOKES MAKER MELBOURNE around the address in three lines 100 COLLINS ST. EAST plus one die where the central wording is ONE PENNY TOKEN in two lines. Series 2: has a description of the types of product, eg. BUTTON CHECK & TOKEN MAKER, around the name and address of the company, T. STOKES 100 COLLINS ST. EAST MELBOURNE. All but one die in this series has a line circle between the name and address and the products. Series 3: employs Stokes stock reverse dies for both sides of the token. In all cases one side has a Vine type, this is therefore called the obverse. Series 4: has an obverse legend in eight lines with the first, T. STOKES, and last, MELBOURNE, curved. This token belongs to Series 3 , the anonymous stock die issues. The following thirteen die combinations have been recorded as original, 1862, products: Vine 4 / Arms 7 Vine 5 / Arms 5 Vine 6 / Arms 5 Vine 7 / Arms 6 Vine 4 / Arms 6 Vine 6 / Arms 6 Vine 4 / Sheaf 1 Vine 7 / Sheaf 1 Vine 8 / Sheaf 1 Vine 5 / Sheaf 2 Vine 7 / Sheaf 2 Vine 6 / Emu 3 Vine 9 / Emu 3
    [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. 159
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 239/4
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 549

  • Keywords

    Wheat, Wholesale Trade