598 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION F. 



So long as these tokens were issued honii fide to assist the 

 cojiper currency they were of immense benefit to the colonies 

 generally, but when some less conscientious tradespeople 

 began to make a business of the issue of their tokens with a 

 view to obtaining the use of the money represented by the 

 number in circulation, and when others repudiated theirs, 

 the benefits of the system became gradually less apparent. 

 The "Bronze Moneys Act" of 1875 rendered the issue of 

 tokens illegal in Tasmania, and about the same period similar 

 Acts were passed in the colonies of the Continent, but INew 

 Zealand continued to use them until quite a recent date. 



I have compiled a list of 452 varieties known at present, 

 distributed as follows: — Victoria, 189; New South Wales, 

 74 ; New Zealand, 92 ; Tasmania, 48 ; Queensland, 22 ; 

 South Australia, 13; Western Austraha, 6; and mis- 

 cellaneous, 8. There are doubtless more varieties to be 

 described which I have not yet met with. 



Between 1854 and 1858 Messrs. Hogarth and Erichsen, 

 jewellers, Sydney, issued eight varieties of silver threepenny 

 tokens, the metal of which is very much alloyed. 



A threepenny token, composed of pure silver, was issued 

 in Sydney in 1854, probably by some private firm, but it only 

 bears the inscription of " Silver token — Sydney, New South 

 Wales, 1854." It is rather uncommon. 



Tlie last series to be noticed comprises the well-known 

 sovereigns and half-sovereigns coined at the branches of the 

 Royal Mint in Sydney and Melbourne. 



The Sydney branch commenced coining in 1855, and the 

 design of the first issued consisted of — Obverse, head of 

 Queen Victoria to left, with two plain bands round the head, 

 with date 1855 beneath. Reverse, two olive branches form- 

 ing a wreath tied together with a ribbon, " Australia " sur- 

 mounted by a crown in the centre; "Sydney Mint" above 

 the wreath, " one " or " half-sovereign " beneath. 



A new type was substituted in 1857, the head being 

 adorned with a laurel wreath, and this type for both sovereigns 

 and half-sovereigns continued to be issued until 1871. 



In the latter year a second branch of the Royal Mint 

 commenced operations in Melbourne, and the types of the 

 British counterparts were coined at both branches ; a minute 

 mark, S. for Sydney, and M. for Melbourne, only distinguish- 

 ing the Australian gold from that coined at the- Royal Mint. 



The total value of gold coined by the Sydney Mint from 

 1855 to 1870 amounted to upwards of £27,000,000. 



