Summary

Brass One Penny Cast Token, possibly created by Whitty, circa 1855. Based on Penny Token issued by John Howell, Liverpool Cheap Book Depot, Adelaide. Cast trade tokens are probably best all considered counterfeits. Exceptions might be cast examples of the Whitty & Brown trade tokens. Whitty was a brass founder, Brown and engraver. After dissolution of their partnership, Whitty continued to produce crudely cast pieces which were accepted as currency equally with struck tokens "the public being not in the least particular"' Dr. Mark Long. Spinks' Numismatic Circular Sept. 1898 - as quoted in Heyde p. 85.

The earliest mention of a bookseller by the name of John Howell was in 1855 when he had a premises in Hindley Street and in Strangways Terrace, North Adelaide. Howell seems to have built a substantial business quite rapidly. During 1858 he took out extensive advertisements in the Books and Stationery advertisements section of the Adelaide Advertiser. By 1864 he had moved to 4 Rundle Street and in addition to his books, music and stationery, his advertisement prominently announced that his business was a 'Depository of the Society for the promotion of Christian Knowledge.'

Physical Description

A cast brass copy of a round trade token (33 mm diameter) giving the name, address and business of the firm: John Howell, Hindley St. Adelaide, Bookseller - Liverpool Cheap Book Depot. The reverse features a representation of the mythical Liver bird, featured on early Arms of Liverpool. The Liver holds a sprig of olive in its beak (interpreted by Chitty as a 'liver weed', the sea-weed that proliferated in the estury near Liverpool) and stands on a length of rope.

Obverse Description

Legend in four lines: JOHN HOWELL / BOOKSELLER / HINDLEY ST / . ADELAIDE .

Reverse Description

At centre a liver bird facing left holding an olive branch in beak; above, LIVERPOOL; below, CHEAP BOOK DEPOT

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Alfred Chitty Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Mr Alfred Chitty, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    circa 1855 AD

  • Issued By

    Australia

  • Previous Collection

    Mr Alfred Chitty

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: JOHN HOWELL BOOKSELLER HINDLEY ST ADELAIDE Reverse: LIVERPOOL CHEAP BOOK DEPOT

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Brass

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - south australia, Circulating casts

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    33 mm (Outside Diameter), 13.44 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Cast trade tokens are probably best all considered counterfeits. Exceptions might be cast examples of the Whitty & Brown trade tokens - 'Whitty was a brass founder, Brown and engraver. After dissolution of their partnership, Whitty continued to produce crudely cast pieces which were accepted as currency equally with struck tokens "the public being not in the least particular"' Dr. Mark Long. Spinks' Numismatic Circular Sept. 1898 - as quoted in Heyde p. 85.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins.
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., p.85 Pages

  • Keywords

    Booksellers, Counterfeits