Token - Halfpenny, Professor Holloway's, Pills & Ointment, London, England, Great Britain, 1858
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1858
Copper Halfpenny Token minted by J. Moore of Birmingham. Issued to promote Professor Holloway's pills and ointments in 1858. Holloway tokens are presumed to have been circulated worldwide throughout retailers of Holloway products. Holloway's tokens were produced in large numbers and have proven the most common token finds on Melbourne archaeological sites.
A round copper striking of a Professor Holloway token (34 mm diameter). The token features a profile head of Professor Holloway and a rendition of the classical goddess Hygeia (the ancient Greek goddess of health) seated looking at snake drinking from a cup she holds in her left hand, the snake is curled around a burning altar, an orb rests on altar on her right side. The legend promotes Holloway's pills and ointments and gives the date 1858. This token has been cleaned and the reverse has re-toned green.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Edge
- Plain
- Shape
- Round
- Material
- Copper
- Dimensions
- 29 mm (Outside Diameter), 8.194 g (Weight)
Technical characteristics
- Series
- Trade Tokens
- Die axis
- 12
- Date issued
- 1858 AD
- Denomination
- Halfpenny
- Mint recorded
- Joseph Moore (Mint) (London, England, Great Britain)
Design
- Obverse
- Head of Professor Holloway facing left with J. MOORE (the maker's name) incuse on neck truncation; around, PROFESSOR HOLLOWAY; below, LONDON.
- Reverse
- Hygeia (the ancient Greek goddess of health) seated looking at snake drinking from a cup she holds in her left hand, the snake is curled around a burning altar, an orb rests on altar on her right side, around; HOLLOWAY'S PILLS AND OINTMENTS, in exergue, 1858. The maker's initials, JM incuse on the right of the exergue line.
- Inscription
- Obverse: PROFESSOR HOLLOWAY LONDON J. MOORE Reverse: HOLLOWAY'S PILLS AND OINTMENTS 1858
Identification
- Candidate id
- mv-59264
- Museum object number
- NU 11684
- Catalogue references (museum record)
- Holloway's tokens were struck in such large numbers that the minting technique of hubbing was clearly employed. In this a master tool, having the full appearance of the final token for the obverse and reverse is manufactured in steel. This is then used to prepare working dies. This technique makes the identification of individual dies from variations in rim bead counts or alignment of lettering impossible. Researchers have noted minor variations in the lowest relief areas of the tokens that may be the result of variations of quality of the die production off the hub (Heyde p. 49) or minor tooling.
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.