Summary

Steel One Penny Token, made by Thomas Stokes, Melbourne. Used for the manufacture of tokens issued by Jas Davey & Co, Drapers, Grocers & Importers, Gippsland Store, Sale, 1862. James Davey was born in Bristol, England and came to Victoria in 1850, spending a year at a place then called Fiery Creek, now Beaufort, before returning to England. He returned to Victoria in 1857. He soon established a general store 'The Gippsland Mart' in Sale in partnership with a Mr McKenzie. The partnership, was later disposed of and Davey carried on alone. In 1865 he sold the grocery, crockery and ironmongery sections of his business to his brother-in-law, Mr Sprod, and moved the Drapery business next door, it went intoreceivership in late 1866 and closed on 2nd February 1867. But in March Davey found himself able to buy his stock back and re-open the business. In 1867 Davey drowned, in what appeared to be a case of suicide. After his sudden death at the age of 42, his widow, Matilda Davey, carried on the business with indifferent success, until June 1879.

Previous Collections: National Gallery of Victoria

Physical Description

A steel die 54 mm high with a main diameter of 55 mm and a working surface diameter of 34 mm. The die features the name, address and business of the firm that commissioned it: JAS. DAVEY & Co. GIPPSLAND STORE FORSTER ST. SALE, WHOLESALE & RETAIL DRAPERS GROCERS & IMPORTERS

Obverse Description

Across the centre of the working face within a line circle in six lines, JAS. DAVEY / & Co. / GIPPSLAND / STORE / FORSTER ST. / SALE around, WHOLESALE & RETAIL DRAPERS GROCERS & IMPORTERS : all incuse retrograde.

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