The Adam Park Project

Item Information:

Catalogue Number: 18/16/003 Source: TAPP Archaeology Surveys Location: No.18 Adam Park Report No: Report No.4 Artifact Type: Coins and Tokens Production Date: 2011-03-14 00:00:00 Dimensions of Item: 20mm dia Copyright with The Adam Park Project

Other Description:

A 1938 sixpence

Historic Context:

The 1938 sixpence would have been a valuable commodity had it been picked up by a POW. The OR’s at Adam Park were paid a 10 cents a day for working on the Shinto Shrine and a British Sixpence would have boosted the takings enormously had it been found. Ironically the sixpence also featured in one of the more poignant recollections of the POW’s time at Adam Park. Lt Alan Robertson OC 2/2 Motor Ambulance Convoy wrote about the daily toil of marching to the Shinto Shrine to start work: At first it was rather a miserable bunch of men straggling along all out of step, but it was not before long before they found it easier to take when we all marched to time and with a swing. I was walking along one morning in a bit of a daze when a young lad in the front file started up a marching song. It was a hit before we left home ‘I’ve got a sixpence5’ and before long he had some chiming in with him. He was one of the youngest and I thanked him for cheering us all up. He kept this up afterwards and started up when anyone started to moan. (Robertson 2009: 66,67).