Token - Halfpenny, John Pettigrew & Co, General Merchants, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia, 1865

Copper Halfpenny Token, minted by W.J. Taylor, London. Issued by John Pettigrew & Co, General Merchants, Ipswich, 1865. John Pettigrew was born in 1832 in Tarshaw, Scotland. He arrived in Australia in 1850, and moved to Brisbane in 1851, where he joined his brother William in his sawmilling business. He left Brisbane for Ipswich in 1852 and founded a general store. As well as running his store, he served as an alderman and briefly as Mayor on the Ipswich Council. He served in the Queensland parliament as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Stanley, from 20 November 1873 to10 December 1878. He was also involved in pastoral speculation at Maranoa with F.A. Forbes until 1866. He died on 10 November 1878 at Ipswich and was buried at the Ipswich Presbyterian Church.

Previous Collections: George McArthur A round bronze token (26 mm diameter). The token features the name address and business of the issuer: John Pettigrew & Co. Ipswich Queensland, General Merchants. The reverse features Coat of Arms consisting of a central shield below a Rising Sun supported by an emu at left and kangaroo at right all resting on a ribbon with the motto ADVANCE AUSTRALIA. The shield is quartered and contains: upper left - a golden fleece; upper right - a three-masted sailing ship; lower left - a bull standing facing left; lower right a anchor. Below the shield is the date 1865. The token surface is covered with areas of fine material adhesion, it may have been buried at some time.