Robert Hyde & Co., Merchants, Melbourne, Victoria
By Museums Victoria | Thursday, 17 October 2019
Hyde's Marine Store was listed in a Melbourne directory for the first time in 1862, at 11 Albert Street East Melbourne. Between 1863 and 1865 he was listed as being in a partnership with Richard Hodgson (Hyde, Hodgson & Co.) in Albert Street, Emerald Hill. In 1866 and 1867 he was once again listed at 11 Albert Street East Melbourne. In 1868 his store was listed as a Rag Merchant's business at 120 Lonsdale Street West, before becoming a Marine Store for 1869 and 1870.
John Hope states that the firm's principal business was dealing in second hand and scrap goods, bottles, rags, bones and scrap metals.
Robert Hyde & Co - General Marine Store - Penny 1861
The firm of Robert Hyde & Co. issued trade tokens dated 1857 and 1861. Both issues appear to be the work of Heaton & Sons, Birmingham rather than W.J. Taylor as earlier thought (See Sharples JNAA.7 p.45). Standard references and the museum's storage are based on identification of the die combinations employed to manufacture the tokens. Issue of 1857 Penny: Obverse A with Reverse 1 - no variations Halfpenny: Obverse B with Reverse 2 then Obverse C with Reverse 2 the quick check for obverse die is the position of the & at the bottom of the central legend. If it is directly under the down stroke of the letter T it is Obverse B, if it is between the letters ET it is obverse C Issue of 1861 Penny: Obverse A with Reverse 3 then Obverse D with reverse 3 (Obv.A broke from the rim below the R of ROBERT to the right side of the central bar see NU 3963) like the halfpenny dies, the quick check for obverse differentiation is the position of the & at the bottom of the central legend.
If it is directly under the down stroke of the letter T it is Obverse B, if it is between the letters ET it is obverse C Halfpenny: Four obverse dies were used to strike the 1861 issue Obv. C, E, F and G with a single reverse die, Rev. 4. Differences in the obverse dies are very slight. Obv.C and Obv.E have serifs at the top of the letter E at the end of the words MARINE and STORE, on both Obv. F and Obv. G that serif is missing. Obv C has a slight doubling of the letter N of MELBOURNE and on some examples shows a die crack between the letters ER of ROBERT. Obv. E has a slight entry of a letter M to the left of the M of MARINE. Obv. F has the first stroke of the letter R of RAGS directly below the first stroke of the H of SHIPPERS while on obverse G it is between the SH, much closer to the S. Obv.G has a small die crack on some examples to the C of Co. The following table of key measurement is also helpful in die differentiation: Obverse diameter inner circle RAGS GLASS Serif E
