Play money denominated 4s, (double-florin)

[Henk]

I have the following "coin" issued by the "Bank of Toy Cash" and made in Hong Kong. It is 30 mm and made of gray plasic with a silvery/chrome? plating, partly worn.
O: 1959 / head facing right (looks like Victoria)/ MADE IN HONG KONG
R: (wreath with) BANK OF / TOY CASH / 4 S / FOUR SHILLINGS

The value of 4s is very odd as it is not part of the regular series. There was of course a 4s coin, double florin, issued in 1887 -1890 but this would certainly not be in circulation after the second WW. Other values of this series are listed in Toy Coins by J. de Sola Rogers (Galata 1990). These "coins" are listed on page 264. The values are of the regular coins: 1/2 and 1 d, 3 d, 6 d and 2 s. A 1 s is likely to exist but is not listed. The 4 s value is also unlisted.

[Henk]

[brandm24]

For toy money, especially in plastic, the detail on the 4 S is quite good. I have a small group of toy money but they're all regular denomination US coins and of low quality. They're also mostly gray plastic but none have a silver wash applied.

Bruce

[africancoins]

There is an example of the 4 Shillings 1959 on this page:-

https://www.plastic-play-money.org/index.php/coins/uk-bank-of-toy-cash-3-70-detail

I do not re-call ever seeing this type (or similar) on Ebay or elsewhere.

The metallic, silver coloured, coating on plastic could be as per that used on such as the 50 Pence in at least one early 1970s set of British play money.

Thanks Mr Paul Baker

[Figleaf]

Four shillings is the "traditional" value of the French five franc piece as used in Mauritius and the Gambia, both unlikely markets for play money in 1959. The UK double florin was very old hat in 1959 and most certainly not in circulation.

More likely is the Spanish colonial piece of eight, that circulated in large parts of East Asia, including Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements, or rather its successor. Its "traditional" value was of course 4/6, tending to go down in time.

The peso was the basis for decimal Chinese coins, called dollar or yuan, and subdivisions. I have no precise data, but I suspect that, especially with civil war in China, the silver yuan could well have slid to 4 shillings. In the Straits and the Netherlands Indies, the Chinese dollar was long a money of account, witness the plantation tokens denominated in (Chinese) dollars. The Straits, Netherlands Indies, Burma, Hong Kong, Formosa and perhaps even Thailand could have been the envisaged market for this piece.

Peter

[Henk]

There is an example of the 4 Shillings 1959 on this page:-

https://www.plastic-play-money.org/index.php/coins/uk-bank-of-toy-cash-3-70-detail

Interesting site! It also pictures a 1/ and a 2/6 from the same series. It also shows that the 1/2, 1 and 3d "coins" are made of brownish plastic.

[FosseWay]

I wasn't familiar with this series of play money - it is indeed a strange denomination. But I have a couple of four-shilling play money pieces from Lauer.

The 1887 one is clearly modelled on an actual issue, and the full series of coins from farthing to sovereign was imitated by Lauer, dated 1887 or 1888. (In fact, you can argue that the double sovereign and £5 are covered too, since there's little way of telling the difference between the various coins with St George on that carry no explicit denomination - unlike the real thing, they're all the same size, give or take.)

I also have a 1902 one, which is clearly a product of someone's febrile imagination.