Summary

Steel Halfpenny Token, made by Thomas Stokes, Melbourne, circa 1862. For token issued by Crothers & Co, Tea Merchants & Storekeepers, Stawell. The three Crothers brothers, William, David and Hugh, arrived from Canada in August 1854. The brothers travelled the country (most likely trying their luck at the various gold fields) for ten years before deciding to open a store at Stawell. They opened their store in Main Street, Stawell in 1865. After a number of years David left the partnership and opened his own store in Melbourne. The other brothers continued their business until they retired in 1900. In 1910 William was living in Armadale, Hugh was in Stawell and David still running his own business, was in Oakleigh. They issued their tokens after they became illegal, the first penny and the halfpenny being issued in 1865, with the other two tokens issued in later years.

Previous Collections: National Gallery of Victoria

Physical Description

A steel die 56 mm high with a main diameter of 54 mm and a working surface diameter of 26 mm. The die features the name and business of the firm that commissioned it: Crothers & C0. Tea Merchants & General Storekeepers all incuse and retrograde. The working surface is chipped above T of TEA.

Obverse Description

Legend in four lines the first and last curved around the rim TEA MERCHANTS / CROTHERS / & CO. / & GENERAL STOREKEEPERS

More Information