1 Penny - Fenwick Brothers Melbourne, Victoria

Fenwick Brothers operated as ironmongers and general merchants in Melbourne during the gold rush years, when colonial Victoria was awash with newly minted wealth but chronically short of small change. The official copper coinage from London arrived slowly and in insufficient quantities, leaving merchants to issue their own tradesman's tokens to make transactions possible. The Fenwick piece is among the heavier examples of the type — the brass striking notably rarer than copper, likely a proof or presentation issue rather than intended for general circulation.