This piece is a late strike mule — a pairing of dies not originally intended to work together — produced by the Hobart engraver and diesinker John Hedberg, whose small operation supplied a surprising share of Tasmania's unofficial copper coinage during the colonial period when official British supply chronically failed to meet local demand. By 1860, the colony had been pressing merchants and private diesinkers to fill the gap for decades. Late strikes from mule pairings like this one typically show progressive die fatigue, and the Andrews/Gray reference numbers reflect distinct die-state attributions rather than separate issues.
This piece is a late strike mule — a pairing of dies not originally intended to work together — produced by the Hobart engraver and diesinker John Hedberg, whose small operation supplied a surprising share of Tasmania's unofficial copper coinage during the colonial period when official British supply chronically failed to meet local demand. By 1860, the colony had been pressing merchants and private diesinkers to fill the gap for decades. Late strikes from mule pairings like this one typically show progressive die fatigue, and the Andrews/Gray reference numbers reflect distinct die-state attributions rather than separate issues.