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Medal - Federation of the World, Guide to Conduct, Cole's Book Arcade, Victoria, Australia, circa 1885
Reg. No: NU 18469
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- Summary:
- Aternative Name: Token
Issued: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Aluminium medal inscribed 'Federation of the World', issued circa 1885. Minted in the USA, this 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:
- An aluminium medal (39 mm diameter) offering a thought provoking maxim related to world federation.
- Acquisition Information:
- Donation from Andrew Reeves - Museum of Victoria, 1987
| Discipline: | Numismatics |
| Dimensions: | 38 mm (Diameter) |
| Weight: | 5.38 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 tree fern, GUIDE TO CONDUCT at left side, IF EVER / YOU FEEL / INCLINED / TO WRONG / ANYONE / IN WORD / OR DEED on right side, WHISPER / TO YOURSELF / DO UNTO OTHERS / AS YOU WOULD / THEY SHOULD / DO UNTO / YOU above ground line, MADE IN U.S.A. |
| Reverse Description: | Within a wreath springing from a rainbow, THE WAY TO BE HAPPY / MAKE / OTHERS AS / HAPPY AS YOU / CAN AND THEY / WILL LOVE YOU AND / MAKE YOU HAPPY / IN RETURN SUCH IS / THE CHIEF / WAY TO HAPPINESS below rainbow, FEDERATION OF THE / WORLD MEDALS / ISSUED / BY E.W. COLE / BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE |
| Edge Description: | Plain |
| Inscriptions: | Obverse: GUIDE TO CONDUCT IF EVER YOU FEEL INCLINED TO WRONG ANYONE IN WORD OR DEED WHISPER TO YOURSELF DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD THEY SHOULD DO UNTO YOU MADE IN U.S.A. Reverse: THE WAY TO BE HAPPY MAKE OTHERS AS HAPPY AS YOU CAN AND THEY WILL LOVE YOU AND MAKE YOU HAPPY IN RETURN SUCH IS THE CHIEF WAY TO HAPPINESS FEDERATION OF THE / WORLD MEDALS / ISSUED / BY E.W. COLE / BOOK ARCADE MELBOURNE |
| Shape: | Round |
| Material: | Aluminium |
| Issued By: | Cole's Book Arcade, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, circa 1885 |
| Mint: | United States of America, circa 1885 Made in the United States of America. |
| References: | C 77/D 90 |
| Bibliography: |
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Themes
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