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A Issued By Sydney, Australia
B Mint Birmingham, United Kingdom

Token - 1 Penny, Iredale & Co, Iron Merchants & Ironmongers, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, circa 1857 Reg. No: NU 11332

Summary:: Copper one Penny Token, minted by Heaton & Sons in Birmingham, circa 1857. Issued by Iredale & Co. Iron Merchants & Ironmongers, in Sydney. Transported to Australia in 1812 and later emancipated Lancelot Iredale, founded an Ironmongery firm in 1820. In 1844 Iredale and Co. provided supplies to the expedition mounted by explorer Ludwig Leichhardt that crossed Australia from Sydney to Port Essington. The following year Lancelot's son Robert took over the business. Thomas, Robert's brother, and Frederic Lassetter joined the firm in 1850. In 1854 Iredale and Co. issued their first tokens, making them one of the first companies to issue tokens in Australia. In 1855 George Iredale, another brother, joined the firm. In 1861 after Thomas' death, Lancelot Jr., the Grandson of the founder, became the principal of the firm.
Description:: A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The token design featuring the name, partial address, business and foundation date of the issuer: Iredale and Co., Sydney, iron merchants and general ironmongers. The reverse depicts Justice standing facing left, blindfolded and extending balanced scales from her right hand, her left hand rests on an inverted cornucopiae from which fruits flow. A sailing ship is seen on the horizon to the left of the figure.

Iredale was a large issuer of tokens production of which involved four obverse and six different reverse dies. This is one of six issues with the Justice reverse, on which the word AUSTRALIA seems to have been individually entered. This has resulted in slight differences in the spacing of the first and last letters and the sea horizon, slight differences in the positiuon of the pand of the scales held by Justice and the letters and in the position of the head of Justice in relation to the letters RA of AUSTRALIA. See notes tab for a table of the reverse variations. This type has 6.5 mm between the first A of AUSTRALIA and the sea horizon, 6.5 mm between the last A and the sea. A line drawn across the tops of the scale pans would pass above the first and last A of AUSTRALIA.

The obverse of all dies bore the same legend. This die was characterised by the letters of the word SYDNEY being 3.0 mm tall; 116 dots around the edge and the H of MERCHANTS being placed above the top of the I of IREDALE.
Acquisition Information:: Transfer from Melbourne Branch of Royal Mint, 1978

Discipline:	Numismatics
Dimensions:	34 mm (Diameter)
Weight:	13.433 g (Weight)

More information

Tagged with:	ironmongers, retailing, shops
Themes this item is part of:	Iredale & Co., Sydney, Ironmongers, New South Wales, Numismatics & Philately Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection, Heaton & Sons Mint, Birmingham, England, Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch, Melbourne, Victoria, Branch Mints of the Royal Mint, Deputy Masters of the Melbourne Branch of the Royal Mint, Closure of Melbourne Mint, Melbourne Mint during World War II, Establishment of Melbourne Mint, 1872, Melbourne Mint
Primary Classification:	TRADE TOKENS
Secondary Classification:	Australia - New South Wales
Tertiary Classification:	working strikes
Series:	Trade Tokens
DateEra:	circa 1857 AD
Denomination:	1 Penny
Obverse Description:	At centre within line circle, ESTABLISHED / 1820 / IREDALE & CO. / SYDNEY around, * IRON MERCHANTS AND GENERAL IRONMONGERS
Reverse Description:	Justice standing facing left, blindfolded and extending balanced scales from her right hand, her left hand rests on an inverted cornucopiae from which fruits flow. A sailing ship is seen on the horizon to the left of the figure. Around above, AUSTRALIA
Edge Description:	Plain
Inscriptions:	Obverse: ESTABLISHED 1820 IREDALE & CO. SYDNEY IRON MERCHANTS AND GENERAL IRONMONGERS Reverse: AUSTRALIA
Shape:	Round
Material:	Copper
Issued By:	Iredale & Co., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1854-1864
Mint:	Heaton & Sons (Mint), Birmingham, England, Great Britain
Previous Collection:	Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch
References:	This token was struck with dies C/4 Table of Iredale obverse die variations Die letters in SYDNEY alignment of H to I of IREDALE Shape of O in Co Border dots A 2.5 mm tall to middle of I oval 113 B 2.5 mm tall to top of I oval 128 C 3.0 mm tall above top of I oval 116 D 3.0 mm tall to top of I circular 116 Table of 'Justice' reverse dies variations employed with Iredale issues Die 1st A to Horizon Last A to Horizon Top of pans point to
Bibliography:	[Book], Dr Arthur Andrews, Australasian Tokens and Coins, Trustees of the Mitchell Library, Sydney, Sydney, 1921, No. 295 [Book], Dion Skinner - Renniks & Co Pty Ltd, Gilbert Heyde, Unofficial Coins of Colonial Australia and New Zealand, 1967, No. 132/4