Summary

Copper one Penny Token, minted by Stokes & Martin, circa 1873. Issued by Hobday & Jobberns, in Christchurch, New Zealand, circa 1873.

Hobday & Jobberns was a drapery business in Christchurch, New Zealand. Little is know about the firm other than its fiery end. Just before two o'clock in the afternoon of October 1888, a fire broke out in a pressing room. It destroyed the building but all the staff escaped unharmed.

Previous Collections: National Gallery of Victoria

Physical Description

A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The piece features the name, address and business of the issuer: Hobday & Jobberns, Waterloo House, Christchurch, Drapers. The reverse features a shield set above a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE CANTERBURY. The top third of the shield depicts a railway line emerging from a tunnel (damage to the tunnel opening on the die has led some to add varieties, rejected here). Below are argicultural symbols - a wheat sheaf, horse head, cow head and plough. The makers name, STOKES & MARTIN MELBOURNE, in tiny letters around the rim from 07 to 05.

Obverse Description

Legend in five lines: HOBDAY & JOBBERNS / DRAPERS / WATERLOO / HOUSE / CHRISTCHURCH

Reverse Description

A flat topped shield set above a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE CANTERBURY. The top third of the shield depicts a railway line emerging from a tunnel (damage to the tunnel opening on the die has led some to add varieties, rejected here). Below are argicultural symbols - a wheat sheaf, horse head, cow head and plough. The makers name, STOKES & MARTIN MELBOURNE, in tiny letters around the rim from 07 to 05.

Edge Description

Plain

More Information

  • Collecting Areas

    Numismatics & Philately, Sustainable Futures, Transport, Working Life & Trades

  • Acquisition Information

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

  • Date Issued

    circa 1873 AD

  • Issued By

    Hobday & Jobberns, Christchurch, Canterbury, South Island, New Zealand, circa 1873

  • Mint

    Stokes & Martin, Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1873

  • Previous Collection

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

  • Inscriptions

    Obverse: HOBDAY & JOBBERNS DRAPERS WATERLOO HOUSE CHRISTCHURCH Reverse: ADVANCE CANTERBURY STOKES & MARTIN MELBOURNE

  • Denomination

    1 Penny

  • Series

    Trade Tokens

  • Material

    Copper

  • Axis

    12

  • Classification

    Trade tokens, New zealand, Working strikes

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Numismatics

  • Type of item

    Object

  • Dimensions

    34 mm (Outside Diameter), 13.131 g (Weight)

  • Shape

    Round

  • References

    -The Canterbury Branch of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand. They Made their Own Money: The Story of Early Canterbury Traders & their Tokens. 1950: pp 42 - 46. Hobday and Jobberns employed Stokes & Martin of Melbourne to strike their penny tokens. Two obverse and two reverse dies were employed in the work. Die identification is the basis of standard references and the museum storage system and is straightforward. Obverse H of HOBBERNS to C of CHRISTCHURCH H of HOUSE A 7.0 mm below and slightly to right of A B 5.0 mm directly below A Reverse Makers name 1 STOKES & MARTIN around rim 05 to 07 (sometimes weak) 2 no makers name The following die combinations have been recorded: A/1 (this token), B/2
    [Book] Andrews, Arthur. 1921. Australasian Tokens and Coins., No. 249
    [Book] Heyde, Gilbert C. & Skinner, Dion H. 1967. Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand., No. 108/1
    [Book] Lampard, William H. 1981. Catalogue of New Zealand Coins Tokens Bank Notes., No. 323
    [Book] The Canterbury Branch of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand. 1950. They Made their Own Money: The Story of Early Canterbury Traders & their Tokens. 94.
    [Book] Humberstone, Vaughn. 2010. Merchants Making Money.

  • Keywords

    Agriculture, Drapers, Rail Transport, Railways, Retail Trade, Retailing