Summary

Copper one Penny token, minted by Heaton & Sons of Birmingham. Issued by R. Parker, a Geelong Ironmonger, circa 1857. Richard Parker arrived in Victoria in 1839 and established a general store in Elizabeth Street with a Mr Boadle, the partnership disolved when Boadle left Melbourne. Parker then moved Collins Street and continued his business until selling out to Germain Nicholson in 1844, when he moved to Geelong and established an ironmongery store. Parker was very successful, and opened stores in Clunes, Back Creek (Talbot), Firey Creek and Ararat. Parker issued at least ten varieties of tokens, all with the same inscription and figure on the faces, but with slight variations. When the tokens arrived, they were emptied out in a huge pile in the window, and as small change was scare, people flocked to the shop to exchange their silver for the more convenient copper.

Previous Collections: National Gallery of Victoria

Physical Description

A copper token (34 mm diameter) featuring the name, address and business of the issuer: R. Parker, Moorabool St. Geelong, Ironmonger and on the reverse, a female figure representing Justice standing facing left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an inverted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground. She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm is draped to near the elbow while drapery falls from her extended arm to below the horizon line behind; around above, AUSTRALIA. A three-masted sailing ship on horizon at left of token. This token has been cleaned and varnished.

Obverse Description

Legend in four lines: MOORABOOL STREET / R:PARKER / IRONMONGER. / GEELONG

Reverse Description

Female figure representing Justice standing facing left. She wears a blindfold and extends a balanced set of scales with her right hand. With her left she holds an inverted cornucopia from which fruits flow onto the ground . She wears an ancient-style of flowing dress bound at the waist, her left arm is draped to near the elbow while drapery falls from her extended arm to below the horizon line behind; around above, AUSTRALIA. A three-masted sailing ship on horizon at left of token.

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

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

  • Date Issued

    circa 1857 AD

  • Issued By

    R Parker, Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 1850-1862

  • Mint

    Heaton & Sons (Mint), Birmingham, England, Great Britain, 1850-1862

  • Previous Collection

    Numismatics Collection, National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), pre 1976

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: MOORABOOL STREET R. PARKER IRONMONGER GEELONG Reverse: AUSTRALIA

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, Australia - victoria, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 13.908 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    Parker employed Heaton & Sons, Birmingham to strike his extensive token issues. At least nine obverse and five reverse dies were needed to complete the orders over three seperate issues. The dies were well made and almost identicle so thast their products are somewhat difficult to differentiate. The first step is to establish the issue to which a token belonged. 1. Measure the diameter of the token If it is 35 mm it is from issue 1 (there will be a : after the R of R: PARKER and the die axis will be 06) If it is 34 mm and the die axis is 06 it is from issue 2 (there will be a : after the R) If it is 34 mm and the die axis is 12 it is from issue 3 (there will be a . after the R) Issue 1, required four obverse (A,. B, C and D) and one reverse (1) dies. Obverse A distance from the M to the R: is 0.5 mm the I of IRON if extended would pass through G. Border of 126 beads. Obverse B M to R is 1.0 mm and the I would pass through the G. Border of 131 beads. Obverse C M to R is 0.5 mm and the I would pass to the left of the G. Border of 128 beads. Obverse D not held Revserse 1 first A to horizon 9.7 mm, last A to horizon 9.2 mm pans to horizon 9.0 mm. Border of 130 beads.
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 409
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 199/12
    [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. 39

  • Keywords

    Ironmongers