View source for Melbourne 1857 1/2 penny token KM-Tn68

[[Image:SA54-3384.jpg|550px|thumb|Steve Album sale 54, lot 3384]]

This specimen was lot 3384 in Steve Album Auction 54 (Santa Rosa, CA, January 2026), where it sold for $216. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, "[[Australia|AUSTRALIA]]: AE halfpenny token, 1874, Fisher, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, hints of red, VF-XF, with older dealer tag." Filling a shortage of coinage in the expanding economy, private tokens flourished until finally being banned in the 1870's. The SCWC lists nearly three hundred varieties. Today most are very scarce. While half penny tokens were very common in Great Britain (especially the Conder tokens), most Australian tokens were of the penny denomination, perhaps a result of higher prices. Like many other Australian tokens, this one was struck by the Heaton mint in Birmingham.

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' 9.3 g, bronze, 31 mm diameter.

''Catalog reference:'' KM-Tn68, Andrews-122.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* McDonald, Greg, ''The Pocket Guide to Australian Coins and Banknotes, 23rd ed.,'' Lavington, Australia, 2017.
* Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed.'', Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
* Pitt, Michael, ''Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values, 32nd Edition,'' Matraville, New South Wales, Australia: Renniks Publications, 2023.
* <sup>[1]</sup>Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Hanbing Feng, ''Auction 54, featuring selections from the Kenneth A. Bovenkamp Collection of Ottoman Coins,'' Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2025.

''Link to:''
* [[Sydney 1857 1/2 penny token KM-Tn83.2]], Hanks & Lloyd
* [[Adelaide (1857) penny token KM-129]], Liverpool Cheap Book Depot, John Howell
* [[Sydney (1857) penny token KM-Tn271]]
* [[London 1857 penny token KM-Tn278.1]], Professor Holloway
* [[Australia 1857-S 1/2 sovereign|1857(sy) half sovereign]]
* [[Australia 1857-S sovereign|1857(sy) sovereign]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1857]]

[[Category:Selections from Stephen Album sale 54]]