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1 Penny - Samuel Henry Tasmania
| Issuer | Tasmania |
|---|---|
| Year | 1857 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 2.6 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts a standing emu to the left and a seated kangaroo to the right, facing one another, both rendered in relief above a ground of native grasses and vegetation. The two animals are emblematic of Australian fauna and serve as a quasi-heraldic device. The legend TASMANIA arcs across the upper field, with the date 1857 displayed in the lower exergue. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Samuel Henry operated a general store in Hobart and issued these copper tokens in 1857 to address a chronic shortage of small change that plagued Van Diemen's Land — renamed Tasmania just three years earlier — long before a reliable supply of imperial or colonial coinage reached the island in sufficient quantities. Private merchant tokens filled the gap so effectively that they circulated alongside official coinage with broad public acceptance.
The Andrews, Renniks, and Gray references all catalog this piece, reflecting the serious attention Australian numismatists have given Tasmania's token coinage, which is among the most systematically documented of any colonial series.