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Token - 1 Penny, G.& W.H. Rocke, Furniture Importers, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1859
Reg. No: NU 4289
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- Summary:
- Copper one Penny Token, minted by W.J.Taylor, London. Issued by G. & W.H. Rocke, Furniture Importers, in Melbourne, Victoria Token, circa 1859. Brothers George and William Henry (W.H.) Rocke arrived in Victoria in 1852 from Wrexham in northern Wales. It appears that after a visit to England in 1857 they began a buissness in Lonsdale-street as importers of English Furniture, and Furnishing Warehousemen, with a large assortment of Bedsteads and Mattresses always on hand. George returned to England in 1862 and W. H began a partnership with Mr. Beauchamp in Colllins Street in 1863. W. H. continued to run this bussiness until his death in 1883.
- Description:
- A round copper token (34 mm diameter) giving the name address and business of the issuer: G. & W.H. Rocke, 18 Lonsdale St. East, Melbourne, English furniture importers. The token features at centre of the obverse a male lion standing to left with head crowned facing front, its right paw is raised and rests on a shield bearing the Union Jack, its tail curved back over its body. On the reverse a female figure representing Justice seated on a wool bale with legs to left but her head and upper body to front. A wine barrel lies on the ground behind her, its end decorated with a cross to hint at a Union Jack (as found beside Britannia on the copper coins of the period). A three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the left. Justice 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 bare and right draped to near the elbow. It bears the date 1859.
- Acquisition Information:
- Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Mr Alfred Chitty, 1976
| Discipline: | Numismatics |
| Dimensions: | 34 mm (Diameter) |
| Weight: | 14.669 g (Weight) |
More information
| Tagged with: | furniture, import trade, retail trade, retailing |
| Themes this item is part of: | G.& W.H. Rocke, Furniture Importers, Melbourne, Victoria, Numismatics & Philately Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection, W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, United Kingdom, Alfred Chitty Collection |
| Primary Classification: | TRADE TOKENS |
| Secondary Classification: | Australia - Victoria |
| Tertiary Classification: | working strikes |
| Series: | Trade Tokens |
| DateEra: | 1859 AD |
| Denomination: | 1 Penny |
| Obverse Description: | At centre a male lion standing to left with head crowned facing, its right paw is raised and rests on a shield bearing the Union Jack, its tail curved back over its body; around in two concentric circles; G.&.W.H.ROCKE. .ENGLISH FURNITURE IMPORTERS / 18 LONSDALE STREET EAST . MELBOURNE . |
| Reverse Description: | Female figure representing Justice seated on a wool bale with legs to left but her head and upper body to front. A wine barrel lies on the ground behind her and a three-masted sailing ship sails to the right on the horizon to the 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 bare and right draped to near the elbow; around above, MELBOURNE VICTORIA in exergue, 1859. |
| Edge Description: | Plain |
| Inscriptions: | Obverse: G.&.W.H.ROCKE ENGLISH FURNITURE IMPORTERS 18 LONSDALE STREET EAST MELBOURNE Reverse: MELBOURNE VICTORIA 1859 |
| Shape: | Round |
| Material: | Copper |
| Issued By: | G. & W.H. Rocke, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1859 |
| Mint: | W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, England, Great Britain, 1859 |
| Previous Collection: | Mr Alfred Chitty |
| References: |
The issue of trade tokens was ordered in London from the firm of W.J. Taylor and followed a format which was quite common in Melbourne - a lion surrounded by the details of the issuer in two concentric circles combined with a seated Justice reverse. There is some confusion as to the mint which produced this form as Heaton & Son show it as one of their products. The production of the Rocke tokens involved two obverse dies (called A & B) and three reverse dies (called 1,2 and 3). Obverse A has stops after G.&. while obverse B does not. (Note: Sharples JNAA.7 p.57 has mixed the secondary characteristics - the 8 over 9 and die flaw on C of ROCKE are on die B not die A) The reverse dies were very similar and are best identified by measurement of the distance between the horizon and the lowest point of the letter M of MELBOURNE. There is a variation between where a line across the tops of the pans would cross the letters ME of MELBOURNE. Reverse M to sea line across top of pans crosses 1 6.0 mm Between ME 2 5.2 mm Base of E 3 4.3 mm Middle of E Reverse 1 cracked along the tops of the letters RNE and reverse 2 cracked from the rim between the letters LB to near the top of the scale arm. These die cracks are only found with obverse B so this provides the order of production. |
| Bibliography: |
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Themes
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