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1 Penny - J. Sawyer Brisbane, Queensland
| Issuer | Queensland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1864 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Penny (1⁄240) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field displays the Queensland colonial coat of arms, featuring a quartered shield surmounted by a radiant sun, flanked by an emu as sinister supporter and a kangaroo as dexter supporter, both standing on a grassed ground line. A ribbon below the shield bears the motto ADVANCE AUSTRALIA. The legend QUEENSLAND curves along the upper periphery, while the date 1864 appears prominently in large numerals across the lower field. A fine dotted border encircles the entire design. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | QUEENSLAND ADVANCE AUSTRALIA 1864 |
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| Additional information |
J. Sawyer operated a hardware and general merchants business in Brisbane during the early colonial period, issuing this token at a time when Queensland's copper coinage supply was chronically inadequate for retail trade. The colonial government had no local mint, and small-change shortages were a persistent commercial headache throughout the 1860s. Merchants issuing their own copper was not merely tolerated — it was practically necessary.
The Andrews, Renniks, and Gray listings all catalogue this piece, suggesting it has a reasonably documented provenance within Australian token studies, though Sawyer tokens are not among the more frequently encountered Brisbane merchant issues.