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1 Penny - J. Hurley and Co., Wanganui
| Issuer | J. Hurley & Co., Wanganui |
|---|---|
| Year | 1853 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts a female allegorical figure seated facing left in classical drapery, holding an anchor in her right hand, symbolising Hope or Commerce. To her left stands a beehive representing industry, and at her feet lie various fruits and produce, alluding to the mercantile nature of the issuing firm. A sailing ship is visible in the background on the right, referencing the shipping supply trade of J. Hurley & Co. The composition is characteristic of mid-nineteenth-century British colonial trade token engraving. |
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| Additional information |
J. Hurley & Co. operated as a general merchant in Wanganui during a period when the New Zealand colonial economy had no reliable small-denomination coinage in circulation. British regal copper rarely reached the provinces in sufficient quantities, and local traders routinely commissioned tradesman's tokens from British die-sinkers — primarily in Birmingham — to fill the gap. Hurley's penny token is one of dozens of such pieces issued across New Zealand between roughly 1850 and 1881, when the colonial government finally moved to suppress private token issues.
The Birmingham origin of the dies is consistent with the Andrews and Roberts attributions for this piece.