Two Coppers and an Ape Knee

1921     George V was on the throne of England,   Billy Hughes was Prime Minister of Australia, Harry Lawson (from Castlemaine)  was Premier of Victoria and Charlie Chaplin starred in “The Kid”.  Ginger Meggs made his first appearance in a comic strip, Australia beat England 5-0 at cricket (howzat ?} and Tom Tansey used three coins – – two pennies and one halfpenny — as a fob  to weight the end of his watch chain, with the help of a black grosgrain ribbon. Since the  Crimes (Currency) Act 1981 (Australia) it has been a criminal offence to deface or destroy current Australian currency coins but in the past it was quite common to punch a hole in coins and use them as a fob.     And do I have a photo showing Tom wearing his watch ?  Unfortunately no.  There are plenty  of photos of Tom in band uniform and but very few family photos of him.  And so it is hard to work out exactly how Tom wore his pocket watch.  The map and two shields on the black grosgrain ribbon seem to suggest that this ribbon may have been worn horizontally with a chain and watch attached  He may have kept his pocket watch in his trouser pocket or his waistcoat pocket.  He may have attached the chain through a buttonhole.  He may have ……I will probably never know.

Tom In Sydney in the 1940s but no sign of a watch chain,

And so — two pence and a halfpenny

–                        tuppence and a ha’penny

–                                two coppers and a ha’penny

–                                         two coppers and an ape knee

More Money, Money, Money stories to be found in this week’s

Sepia Saturday

Advertisements