1/2 Penny - Brookes, W. & B. Brisbane, Queensland

William and Benjamin Brookes operated a general merchant and ironmongery business in Brisbane during the early 1860s, issuing tradesman's tokens when the colonial copper coinage supply remained chronically inadequate. Queensland had only separated from New South Wales in 1859, and the infant colony's currency infrastructure lagged badly behind its commercial activity. The Andrews, Ryland, and Gray references all catalogue this piece, suggesting it circulated widely enough to survive in reasonable numbers.

The 19-gram weight is notably heavy for a halfpenny token, placing it closer to the British imperial penny standard — a deliberate choice by some colonial issuers to discourage public rejection.