1 Penny - Hide and De Carle 1858 Melbourne, Victoria

Hide & De Carle operated as watchmakers and jewellers on Collins Street, Melbourne, and their 1858 penny token was issued during a period when colonial Victoria faced a chronic shortage of official small change — the Melbourne branch of the Royal Mint would not open until 1872. Private tradesmen tokens filled that gap entirely. The Andrews and Ryde references cite multiple die varieties across this single issue, numbering into the high single digits, which suggests substantial original mintage spread across several working die pairs, almost certainly struck in Birmingham by one of the principal trade token contractors supplying the Australian colonies.