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Token - 1 Penny, J.R. Grundy, Tobacco Merchant, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 1861
Reg. No: NU 11176
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- Summary:
- Bronze One Penny Token, minted by Heaton & Sons, Birmignham. Issued by J.R. Grundy, Tobacco Merchant, Ballarat, 1861. John R. Grundy, arrived in Melbourne in January 1855. He opened a tobacconist's shop in 1856, in Ballarat, and was the principal tobacconist in the town. Gardner states that Grundy lost his shop in 1872 after speculating heavily. Afterwards he made his living by selling 'colonial cigars' in Melbourne and died in straightened circumstances in the early 1900s.
- Description:
- A round copper token (34 mm diameter). The token features the name address and business of the issuer: J.R. Grundy Ballarat Merchant together with a cutting from a tobacco plant The reverse features a female figure representing Justice standing facing 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 is draped to near the elbow while drapery falls from her extended arm to below the horizon line behind. A three-masted sailing ship on horizon at left of token. This token has a major obverse die crack.
- Acquisition Information:
- Transfer from Melbourne Branch of Royal Mint, 1978
| Discipline: | Numismatics |
| Dimensions: | 34 mm (Diameter) |
| Weight: | 14.586 g (Weight) |
More information
| Tagged with: | agriculture, retail trade, retailing, tobacco |
| Themes this item is part of: | J.R. Grundy, Tobacco Merchant, Ballarat, Victoria (circa 1820s-?), Numismatics & Philately Collection, Sustainable Futures 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 - Victoria |
| Tertiary Classification: | working strikes |
| Series: | Trade Tokens |
| DateEra: | 1861 AD |
| Denomination: | 1 Penny |
| Obverse Description: | Branch of Tobacco depicting flowers & leaves; around, J.R.GRUNDY MERCHANT BALLARAT . 1861 . Large die crack from rim 01 to rim 06 through plant |
| Reverse Description: | Female figure representing Justice standing facing left within wide raised border with beading around inside. 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 is draped to near the elbow while drapery falls from her extended arm to below the horizon line behind. A three-masted sailing ship on horizon at left of token. Around on wide raised border, INDUSTRIA ET FIDES OMNIA VINCET . VICTORIA . |
| Edge Description: | Plain |
| Inscriptions: | Obverse: J.R. GRUNDY MERCHANT BALLARAT 1861 Reverse: INDUSTRIA ET FIDES OMNIA VINCET VICTORIA |
| Shape: | round |
| Material: | Bronze |
| Issued By: | J Grundy - Tobacco Merchant, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, 1861 |
| Mint: | Heaton & Sons (Mint) |
| Previous Collection: | Royal Mint, Melbourne Branch |
| References: |
Grundy issued two quite different token designs dated 1861. The first (see NU 3764) depicted a tobacco plant growing from grassy ground combined with a Coat of Arms while the second (this token) depicted a cut stalk of flowering tobacco and a standing figure representing Justice. This issue employed two slightly different obverse dies which can be differentiated by the shape of the first bud on the right side of the stalk and the position of the growth of the first flower bud in relation to the central veins of the large leaf on the right. Obverse B has the first bud opening at right angles and the flower emerging entirely below the central vein. Obverse C has the first bud still largely closed and the flower emerging above the central vein. In addtion there were two reverse dies - Reverse 3 on which all letter A's are A with cross bar, and Reverse 4 where all letter A's are in fact an inverted V with no cross bar. This token was struck with die combination B/3. Andrews 158 and Heyde 88/2 record the die combination C/3 but the Museum variety of this was C/4 - does C/3 occur? |
| Bibliography: |
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Themes
This item is part of the following themes:
- J.R. Grundy, Tobacco Merchant, Ballarat, Victoria (circa 1820s-?)
- Numismatics & Philately Collection
- Sustainable Futures 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
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