1852 Adelaide Pound, design type II

Over and above the Uncirculated grading level of this Adelaide Pound, there is another aspect to this coin that must be pointed out.

And that’s the strike. The design details have been well executed.

While there is a natural assumption that sufficient care and attention might have been applied during the minting process to ensure that the coin design would be well executed. In the case of the Adelaide Pounds, this was certainly NOT the case.

The Adelaide Assay Office was opened 167 years ago as a refinery to strike gold ingots.

Except for ensuring the accuracy of the weight and purity of gold in the coin, there was minimal care regarding the overall striking and the eye appeal of the coin.

We also know from historical records that the striking of the Adelaide Pound was fraught with problems. Pressure cracked the first die.

The first die was swapped over for a second die that featured a crenelated inner circular design and the decision was made to relax the pressure to minimise the risk of the second die cracking.

While the reduced pressure extended the life of the dies, it created its own set of problems in the execution of the design detail.

Many Adelaide Pounds show weakness in the edges and the legend 'Assay Office'. With some coins this area is almost non-existent.

In other Adelaide Pounds we see weakness in the crown area.

The very reason why when it comes to assessing Adelaide Pounds, we always start at the edges and work our way in.

We confirm the strength of the edge denticles and the legend Government Assay Office. We then move inwards to the crown. And lastly, we examine the fields.

• The edges provide an almost ‘picture-frame’ effect to this coin which is quite extraordinary and seldom seen.
• There is strength in the legend in the ASSAY area. Again, seldom seen.
• The cross on the orb of the crown is complete and untouched.
• The fleur-de-lis are complete and untouched.
• The ermine in the lower band of the crown are visible.
• The pleats in the fabric in the crown are complete and highly detailed.

The 1852 Adelaide Pound holds a very special place in Australia's history as the nation's first gold coin struck from gold brought from the Victorian gold fields.

It is an iconic Australian numismatic rarity, as is the 1930 Penny, the 1813 Holey Dollar and the 1813 Dump.

Its status as Australia’s first gold coin ensures that it will always be sought after and strengthens its investment value.

Its investment value is also enhanced by its rarity for we estimate that perhaps 250 examples are available to collectors, across all quality levels.