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1 Penny - T. Butterworth and Co. Castlemaine, Victoria
| Issuer | T. Butterworth & Co., Castlemaine |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Emergency coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is likewise purely typographic, devoid of any pictorial motif. The central field carries the legend 'WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANTS' arranged in three lines of bold capital serif type. The peripheral circular legend reads 'WHOLESALE & RETAIL GROCERS & DRAPERS', separated at the base by a small decorative star or asterisk, and enclosed within a beaded border consistent with the obverse. The overall design serves as a commercial advertisement for the issuing firm's range of mercantile activities. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
T. Butterworth & Co. operated as a general store in Castlemaine during the Victorian gold rush years, when the colonial penny shortage was acute enough that private traders across Victoria issued their own copper tokens rather than lose sales to customers who couldn't make change. Castlemaine itself — founded essentially on top of the Mount Alexander alluvial goldfields — was one of the busiest inland towns on the continent through the 1850s, which made reliable small-denomination currency a commercial necessity, not a novelty.
The Andrews and Gray reference numbers listed here indicate two distinct varieties exist for this issuer, differing in die detail.