Summary
Aternative Name: Token
Issued: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Medal, Cole's Book Arcade, Federation of the World, Field of Gold, circa 1893. This gilt medal is one of a series of medals offering maxims and proverbs issued by E.W. Cole at his Book Arcade. He called the medals 'little missionaries for the spread of educative knowledge' (Dean, 1988, p.36).
According to Sydney Endacott, an employee of Cole, customers were charged three pence for these medals (which he prefers to call tokens) which, when the Arcade was particularly busy, gave them admission to the second-hand books gallery where the orchestra played. Each medal could be exchanged for thee pence worth of goods, but most were kept. The pierced ones were sometimes worn as pendants or on pocket watch chains. The medals served as perpetual advertisements of the Arcade (Victorian Historical Magazine, February 1962). George Dean suggests that the medals were also given in change at Christmas time, and could be used to operate amusement machines (presumably including the symphonion and hens, although these only required one penny to operate).
Cole had his first medal stuck in 1879 and his last one about 1903. The medals were variously gilded, silvered or bronzed, replicating the coinage then circulating, or plated with nickel or white metal. The medal blanks were usually made of copper or brass, but some might have been bronze; aluminium was also sometimes used. In all, perhaps 300,000 medals were struck, in 97 types. Only 50 types are known to have circulated (George Dean, 1988, A Handbook on E.W. Cole: His Book Arcade, Tokens and Medals).
Physical Description
A gilt bronze medal (31 mm diameter) commemorating the 'Field of Gold' exhibition and offering a thought provoking maxim related to world federation.
Obverse Description
COLE'S / FIELD OF GOLD / <<<< / AN ENCHANTING SIGHT / <<<<< / OPENED JULY / 1893 / AT THE / BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE
Reverse Description
Above rainbow, BE / GOOD / AND YOU WILL BE / HAPPY AND MAKE / OTHERS HAPPY below rainbow, FEDERATION OF THE / WORLD MEDALS / ISSUED / BY E.W. COLES / BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE
Edge Description
Plain
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), George McArthur, 15 Mar 1976
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Date Issued
1893 AD
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Issued By
Cole's Book Arcade, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1893
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Inscriptions
Obverse: COLE'S FIELD OF GOLD AN ENCHANTING SIGHT OPENED JULY 1893 AT THE BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE Reverse: BE GOOD AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY AND MAKE OTHERS HAPPY FEDERATION OF THE WORLD MEDALS ISSUED BY E.W. COLES BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE
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Series
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Material
Gilt
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Axis
12
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
31 mm (Outside Diameter), 10.51 g (Weight)
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Maximum dimensions
31 mm (Outside Diameter)
Measurement From Conservation.
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Maximum dimensions
2 mm (Depth), 31 mm (Outside Diameter)
Measurement From Conservation.
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Shape
Round
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References
Chitty 62 = Dean 67
[Book] Dean, George D. 1988. A Handbook on E.W. Cole, His Book Arcade, Tokens & Medals.
[Book] Turnley, Cole. 1974. Cole of the Book Arcade: a Biography of E.W. Cole.
[Article] 1973. A Tribute to E.W. Cole. Australian Numismatist. 27 (10): 5-10.
[Catalogue] Morrison, Ian. 2003. The Baker of Maldon.
[Thesis] Lugton, Mary E. 1989. George McArthur of Maldon: his Life and his Book Collection.
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Keywords