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1 Penny - Gittos, B. Auckland
| Issuer | B. Gittos, Auckland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1864 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Trade tokens (1857-1881) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The entire field is occupied by a bold multi-line inscription in raised capital Roman lettering, reading B. GITTOS / LEATHER / MERCHANT / IMPORTER OF / BOOTS & SHOES / & c. & c., identifying the issuer and his trade. The lettering is arranged in horizontal lines across the flat field without any pictorial device. The token is bordered by a continuous beaded inner rim running close to the raised outer rim, typical of mid-nineteenth century New Zealand trade token production. The plain, text-only design reflects the utilitarian commercial character of colonial-era merchant tokens issued during periods of coinage shortage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | B.GITTOS LEATHER MERCHANT IMPORTER OF BOOTS & SHOES & c. & c. |
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| Additional information |
Benjamin Gittos operated a general store in Auckland during the early 1860s, a period when the provincial government's failure to supply adequate small change forced New Zealand merchants to commission their own copper tokens from British manufacturers — almost certainly Heaton's Mint in Birmingham, the dominant supplier for antipodean trade tokens of this decade. The colonial banking infrastructure simply couldn't keep pace with a gold rush economy and the demands of the Waikato Land Wars period, which disrupted normal commerce throughout the North Island.
The Reiter references R#149 and R#154 suggest at least two distinct varieties exist for this issuer, likely differing in die details or edge treatment.