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Medal - Federation of the World, Truth, Cole's Book Arcade, Victoria, Australia, circa 1885
Reg. No: NU 31121
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- Summary:
- Aternative Name: Token
Issued: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Medal, Cole's Book Arcade, Federation of the World, Truth, circa 1885. 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). - Description:
- A gilt bronze medal (31 mm diameter) offering a thought provoking maxim related to world federation, holed and with copper loop.
- Acquisition Information:
- Donation from Edwards, 1989
| Discipline: | Numismatics |
| Dimensions: | 31 mm (Diameter) |
| Weight: | 11.21 g (Weight) |
More information
| Tagged with: | advertising, booksellers, retailing, world federation |
| Themes this item is part of: | Edward William Cole, Bookseller (1832-1918), Cole's Book Arcade Collection, Numismatics & Philately Collection, Public Life & Institutions Collection |
| Primary Classification: | MEDALS |
| Secondary Classification: | Commemorative |
| Tertiary Classification: | commerce & retailing |
| Series: | Cole's Book Arcade Medals |
| DateEra: | circa 1885 AD |
| Obverse Description: | above a rainbow, COLE'S TEXT FOR A BILLION SERMONS / A / KNOWLEDGE OF / TRUTH / IS BEST FOR / HUMAN WELFARE / THEREFORE / TO OBSERVE ENQUIRE READ / AND THINK IN ORDER TO / FIND TRUTH IS THE / FIRST DUTY / OF MAN; below rainbow, FEDERATION OF THE / WORLD MEDALS / ISSUED / BY E.W. COLES / BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE |
| Reverse Description: | Within a wreath of long fern fronds and above a fern tree, ALWAYS / DO THAT / WHICH YOU / BELIEVE TO BE / RIGHT |
| Edge Description: | Plain |
| Inscriptions: | Obverse:COLE'S TEXT FOR A BILLION SERMONS A KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH IS BEST FOR HUMAN WELFARE THEREFORE TO OBSERVE ENQUIRE READ AND THINK IN ORDER TO FIND TRUTH IS THE FIRST DUTY OF MAN FEDERATION OF THE WORLD MEDALS ISSUED BY E.W. COLES BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE Reverse: ALWAYS DO THAT WHICH YOU BELIEVE TO BE RIGHT |
| Shape: | Round |
| Material: | Gilt |
| Issued By: | Cole's Book Arcade, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1885 |
| References: | Chitty 69= Dean 73 |
| Bibliography: |
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Themes
This item is part of the following themes:
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