Love token, Donovan

Cornelius Donovan, 1825

This very detailed token was probably made by a nineteen year old called Cornelius Donovan.

Donovan stole sewing cotton from a London clothing shop in December 1824. His punishment was transportation for 7 years.

But like many convicts, he first spent time on board a prison hulk on the River Thames before he left.

To make his love token Donovan used a 1797 ‘cartwheel’ penny. Because the coin is quite large, he had more space to engrave his message, a picture and include some detailed decoration.

On one side it says:

This is a token from my hand for I am going to Van Diemans land – 1825.

On the other side:

Two lovebirds flutter above a heart drawn around the paired initials ‘EWN / CD’.

There is no record of who he made this love token for. But perhaps the initials ‘EWN’ above ‘CD’ (for Cornelius Donovan) are those of his young wife or a girlfriend.

On April 6, 1825 he sailed to NSW on board the Medina and arrived in Van Diemen’s Land September 8, 1825.

There is no record of what happened to Donovan after he arrived.