A project from the National Museum of Australia

The National Museum of Australia has 314 convict love tokens in its collection. These tokens were made by convicts around the time of their sentencing and were given to friends and loved ones as mementos.

What is a convict love token?

Read more about the collection

Pierced token engraved with a detailed image of a man wearing a hat, buttoned waistcoat and jacket. One arm is outstretched, as if waving to a three-masted ship sailing on the water. The sea is composed of tight zigzagging lines.  

Tim Hitchcock says:

There is an almost precisely similar token for Thomas Spicer in the Museum of London - https://collections....

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Paul Ware says:

Such was Georgian/ Victorian justice.. Token looks like it was almost done by a professional engraver? Poss...

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Justin McLoughlin says:

I think it’s so sad that these people of many aches are being sent to another country away from there loved...

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April says:

Hi Paul Yes you could be right? I have a few sailors love tokens in my collection and to my knowledge the m...

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