Summary

Copper One Penny Token, minted by Thomas Stokes, Melbourne. Issued by Southward & Sumpton, Grocers, Wine & Spirit Merchants, Ballarat, circa 1862. Southward and Sumpton both came from Cumberland, England. They were running a Grocery, Wine and Spirit business in Sturt Street, Ballarat by 1855. Their business grew quickly, and they had branches in Clunes, Scarsdale and Booloorook, engaging in wholesale trade. Southward was a judge at horse-shows and the firm is said to have kept very good horses. The partnership was dissolved around 1874.

Previous Collections: George McArthur

Physical Description

A round bronze token (34 mm diameter). The token features the name, address and business of the issuer: Southward & Sumpton, Wholesale Grocers, wine & spirit merchants, Ballarat. The reverse features a coat of arms consisting of a central shield set on grass covered ground set below Rising Sun with kangaroo on left, seated facing out but head back towards sun (sejant sinister reguardant) and emu on right with similar stance (passant dexter reguardant). Below ground line and set on bouquet of rose, thistles and shamrock, a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE BALLARAT. The shield is quartered by a cross with a star at the centre and at the end of each arm. The cross is shaded with horizontal (perhaps representing blue) and vertical lines (perhaps representing red) which cross in the middle behind the star. The quarters contain: top left, a three-masted sailing ship; top right, a golden fleece; bottom left, crossed pick and shovel (mining tools); and bottom right, a wheat sheaf.

Obverse Description

At centre within inner line circle, SOUTHWARD / & / SUMPTON / BALLARAT ; around within border of 119 beads, * WHOLESALE GROCERS * WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANTS

Reverse Description

At centre coat of arms consisting of a central shield set on grass covered ground and below Rising Sun. On left a kangaroo seated facing out but head back towards sun (sejant sinister reguardant) and on right emu with similar stance (passant dexter reguardant). Below ground line and set on bouquet of rose, thistles and shamrock, a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE BALLARAT. The shield is quartered by a cross with a star at the centre and at the end of each arm. The cross is shaded with horizontal (perhaps representing blue) and vertical lines (perhaps representing red) which cross in the middle behind the star. The quarters contain: top left, a three-masted sailing ship; top right, a golden fleece; bottom left, crossed pick and shovel (mining tools); and bottom right, a wheat sheaf; around, SOUTHWARD & SUMPTON BALLARAT; border of 122 beads.

Edge Description

plain

More Information

  • Collection Names

    McArthur Bequest

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Sustainable Futures, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

    Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), George McArthur, 15 Mar 1976

  • Date Issued

    circa 1862 AD

  • Issued By

    Southward & Sumpton, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, circa 1862

  • Mint

    Stokes (Mint), Victoria, Australia

  • Previous Collection

    George McArthur

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: SOUTHWARD & SUMPTON BALLARAT WHOLESALE GROCERS WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANTS Reverse: SOUTHWARD & SUMPTON BALLARAT ADVANCE BALLARAT

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    copper

  • Axis

    06

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 15.82 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Biography: Gardner, F., Trade tokens and the firms who issued them, The Australian Storekeepers and Traders Journal, 30 September 1910, p.8 (photocopy); Sharples, J., 'Catalogue of Victorian Trade Tokens,' in Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia, Vol. 7, December 1993, p. 16; Advertisement, Birtchnell's Ballarat directry for 1862, p.82; The Evening Post, 9 January 1864, p. 1; -Hope, John. Southward & Sumpton. Unpublished MSS. 2005: 2pps. The two die settings, 06 (this token) and 12 (see NU 4342) may suggest two seperate issued for this company - there may also be significance in the weight variations.
    [Thesis] Lugton, Mary E. 1989. George McArthur of Maldon: his Life and his Book Collection.
    [Catalogue] Morrison, Ian. 2003. The Baker of Maldon.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 501
    [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. 6
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 228

  • Keywords

    Grocers, Wholesale Trade, Wine & Spirit Merchants