Catalog
4 Pence - Hindmarsh Hotel Adelaide, South Australia
| Issuer | Hindmarsh Hotel, Adelaide |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Entirely typographic design within a plain field, enclosed by a continuous beaded border. The legend HINDMARSH HOTEL reads clockwise around the upper periphery, while PIRIE ST. curves along the lower periphery, each separated by raised dot stops. At centre, the large numeral '4' dominates the field with the denomination indicator 'D' positioned to its upper right, and two raised dots appearing beneath, all rendered in bold incuse relief against the flat copper field. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely plain and uninscribed, presenting a flat, featureless copper field with no design, legend, or decorative elements of any kind. The surface bears only the natural marks of circulation and age, with no border ornamentation. |
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| Additional information |
Adelaide's early colonial economy ran on a chaotic mix of private tokens issued by merchants, hotels, and tradesmen — the copper shortage of the 1840s and 1850s left the colony with virtually no reliable small change from official sources. The Hindmarsh Hotel token is among the more peculiar survivors of that period: a four-pence denomination was an unusual choice, sitting awkwardly between the common penny and sixpence issues favored by most South Australian issuers.
Andrews #248 places it within a well-documented but thinly surviving series. Genuine examples are distinguished from later restrike pieces by die wear consistent with actual circulation.