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Token - Halfpenny, T.F. Merry & Co, General Merchants, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, circa 1863
Reg. No: NU 4104
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- Summary:
- Copper Halfpenny Token, minted by W.J. Taylor, London. Issued by T.F. Merry & Co, General Merchants, Toowoomba, Queensland, circa 1863. A short biography of Merry by F. Simpson was published in the Australian Coin Review, September 1970. According to Simpson, Merry was born on 1 March 1829 in England. Migrating to Australia in 1851, he worked as a a Draper's assistant in Hobart, before moving to Brisbane, where he established a store which he later sold. Some time later he moved to Toowoomba and established himself as a general merchant, he opened branches of his business in Warwick, Stanthorpe, Goondawindi and other Queensland locations. He was one of the first directors of the co-operative store J.P. Barnes & Co., which still existed as the Barnes Co-op in 1970.
- Description:
- A round copper token (28 mm diameter). The token design featuring the name, business and Town of the issuer: T.F. Merry & Co. general merchants, Toowoomba and on the reverse a Coat of Arms consisting of a central shield below a Rising Sun and supported by an emu at left and kangaroo at right all resting on a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE AUSTRALIA. The shield is quartered and contains: upper left - a golden fleece; upper right - a three-masted sailing ship; lower left - a bull standing facing left; lower right a anchor.
- Acquisition Information:
- Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 1976
| Discipline: | Numismatics |
| Dimensions: | 28 mm (Diameter) |
| Weight: | 8.605 g (Weight) |
More information
| Themes this item is part of: | T.F. Merry & Co., General Merchants, Toowoomba, Queensland, Numismatics & Philately Collection, Working Life & Trades Collection, Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch, Melbourne, Victoria, W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, United Kingdom, 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 - Queensland |
| Tertiary Classification: | working strikes |
| Series: | Trade Tokens |
| DateEra: | circa 1863 AD |
| Denomination: | Halfpenny |
| Obverse Description: | T.F.MERRY / GENERAL / MERCHANTS / TOOWOOMBA the first and last lines being curved. ie crack from rim to third O of TOOWOOMBA. |
| Reverse Description: | At centre Coat of Arms consisting of a central shield below a Rising Sun and supported by an emu at left and kangaroo at right all resting on a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE AUSTRALIA. The shield is quartered and contains: upper left - a golden fleece; upper right - a three-masted sailing ship; lower left - a bull standing facing left; lower right a anchor. Above, PEACE & PLENTY |
| Edge Description: | Plain |
| Inscriptions: | Obverse: T.F.MERRY & Co. GENERAL MERCHANTS TOOWOOMBA Reverse: PEACE & PLENTY ADVANCE AUSTRALIA |
| Shape: | Round |
| Material: | Copper |
| Issued By: | Merry T.F. & Co., General Merchants, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, circa 1863 |
| Mint: | W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, England, Great Britain, circa 1863 |
| Previous Collection: | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch |
| References: | The dating of this issue is derived from the penny denomination which shares the reverse die with the Merry & Bush issue of 1863 as there is a characteristic die crack from the rim to the E of PEACE. This suggests that the T.F. Merry issue is contemporary with the dated 1863 Merry and Bush. |
| Bibliography: |
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Themes
This item is part of the following themes:
- T.F. Merry & Co., General Merchants, Toowoomba, Queensland
- Numismatics & Philately Collection
- Working Life & Trades Collection
- Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch, Melbourne, Victoria
- W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, United Kingdom
- 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
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