Unique Piece of History! Convict Love Token!

[coinman123]

I am almost sure this is a convict love token, it looks like many of the ones in the National Museum of Australian, which has a collection of over 300 (link below). The unique poem the prisoner written by the prisoner to his loved one says, "O' Check those fastly-falling tears, we yet may see some happy years. O.E." My guess is that this is telling his loved one that he will be out of prison soon, not to worry because he will be back soon. The token is engraved on an EF condition 1826 English Halfpenny. I paid 25 cents for it from my coin dealer's junk bin, along with 171 other coins dating from the 1700's and 1800's, including some silver from that time. Anything that looks damaged and will look bad in the display case, he just tosses in the junk box for 25 cents. I also got a wrong planchet 1859 Swiss 20 Rappin, struck on 10 Rappin. Other stuff I bought were some higher graded Spanish silver, including Charles III 1/2 Real and Charles III 4 Reales and a Charles IV 1 Real (not for 25 cents, though I wish it was that cheap).
Home · Convict love tokens

Sorry for bad photos.

 

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[Truth]

I look at that like anything else that's priceless. What a real piece of history and a great story. I'd be proud to own that which I'm sure you are. And all that history for $.25! Lol


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[coinman123]

I never even knew they existed but there is a book on them! Only found one other one on Ebay, which sold for $700 I think, and it doesn't have a touching poem like mine. I guess that proves how rare they are. I will definitely keep this one forever!

 

[Truth]

I never even knew they existed but there is a book on them! Only found one other one on Ebay, which sold for $700 I think, and it doesn't have a touching poem like mine. I guess that proves how rare they are. I will definitely keep this one forever!

It definitely is a treasure my friend


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[coinman123]

It's weird, some go for $600, some go for $10,000. I guess it depends on what is written. Sadly, mine doesn't have a date engraved or full name, similar to a lot of them at the Australian Museum, I think that the unique poem is cooler though.

Australiana » Strand Coins

I think this one was around $600


So happy I got one and only paid 25 cents for it, would be hard to get one otherwise, I only see a handful of them online that are not in museums.

 

[coinman123]

Only two people with the Initials O.E. convicted. I went through 450 lasts names that start with E . Olympia and Owens. My guess is that Owens wrote it, and he was convicted in 1830.

Convict Records: Owen Edwards

 

[coinman123]

Found another person who's initials are O.E., who was convicted in 1839, this is getting hard.

 

[bill from lachine]

coinman,

That's one neat find for 25 cents. Keep in mind that in colonial days Australia was basically a prison colony which would explain why so many tokens are in their museum collection.

Regards + HH

Bill

 

[boogeyman]

Found another person who's initials are O.E., who was convicted in 1839, this is getting hard.

It's not hard. What's hard is remembering all the other great info you stumble on doing your researching, and being able to find it when you need it.

Excellent find! Excellent job researching it!

 

[coinman123]

I sent an Email to the museum in Australia, they would probably know more about at than me.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

May just as well have other meanings:
Man to wife that may have lost a child.
To wife from man that is going on a voyage.
Boy to Girl in relationship that parents don't approve of.
I'm sure there could be many more.

Cool find though, and you're probably right since there's a museum for similiar finds.

 

[Mzjavert]

Never heard of convict love tokens. That's such a cool find.