½ Penny - W.J. Taylor Melbourne; Victoria

½ Penny - W.J. Taylor (Melbourne; Victoria) - obverse½ Penny - W.J. Taylor (Melbourne; Victoria) - reverse

© Peter M. Graham (CC0)

Features

Issuer Victoria (Australian States)
Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
Type Token
Year 1851
Value ½ Penny (1⁄480)
Currency Pound sterling (1788-1900)
Composition Copper
Weight 8.4 g
Diameter 28.5 mm
Thickness 1.75 mm
Shape Round
Technique Milled
Orientation Variable alignment ↺
Demonetized 1863
Number
N#
47667
References KM# Tn244,
Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins / 2001-Date (14th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States.
And 5 more volumes.
Gray# 277
Simon Gray; 2013. A Study of Australasian Trade Tokens : An Illustrated Reference of the Merchants Tokens used in Colonial Australia & New Zealand. Self-published, Two Rocks, Perth, Australia.

Obverse

Kangaroo seated on tail in grassy field facing right.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
MELBOURNE
W.J. TAYLOR MEDALIST TO THE GREAT EXHIBITION.
1851

Engraver: W.J. Taylor

Reverse

Woman seated on rock facing to left holding an olive branch extended in her right hand and resting a staff on her left forearm.

Script: Latin

Lettering: AUSTRALIA

Engraver: W.J. Taylor

Edge

Plain

Comments

W. J. Taylor and his business partners established the Kangaroo Office to take advantage of the explosive economic growth in Australia following the discovery of gold in 1851. They hoped to buy gold at greatly reduced prices from the gold fields and then release it at full value in the form of quarter-ounce, half-ounce, one ounce and two ounce gold coins. However due to the time required to travel between London and Melbourne, once the Kangaroo Office was ready for business in 1854, an increase in the number of British sovereigns, had seen the price of gold rise, and the potential profits for the Kangaroo Office sharply decline. Not deterred, in late 1954 Taylor prepare dies for a series of pattern copper tokens that it was hoped could be produced in Melbourne by the Kangaroo Office for circulation within Australia. It appears that this did not succeed, and in 1855 Taylor began to create shilling and sixpence patterns in silver. However the Kangaroo Office again failed to obtain authority to strike and circulate these silver tokens and in 1857 the Kangaroo Office closed.

See also

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Date VG F VF XF AU UNC
1851  Gray# 277; MC

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