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<p>There is everything to like, and nothing to dislike, about this 1852 Adelaide Pound. Including the price. The coin is highly lustrous on both obverse and reverse and the prime design details of the crown and the legend, Government Assay Office Adelaide, are well defined. So too is the date '1852'. We also note that the fields and the edges are not marred by heavy knocks or gouges. A miracle given the factory environment in which it was struck. This Adelaide Pound is graded Good Extremely Fine, with just whisper touches to the high points. And is priced accordingly. Held in the one collection for the last twenty-six years, this 1852 Adelaide Pound is available now.</p>

<p>Governor Lachlan Macquarie imported 40,000 Spanish Silver Dollars to create Australia’s first coinage, enlisting the services of convicted forger, William Henshall, to complete the task. Henshall cut a large hole in the centre of each dollar, thereby creating two coins out of one, the first a holed dollar which was over stamped and became the Holey Dollar. And the second, a circular disc, which was also over stamped and became the Dump. It is very clear when you look at a Holey Dollar that it was cut out from a Spanish Silver Dollar. But there are very few Dumps where you can make the same claim which is why we like this coin. There is very clear evidence of the original Spanish Dollar design on the obverse. And that's just one of the reasons why we regard this coin as a 'textbook' Dump.</p>

<p>Owning a Holey Dollar is about indulging in an experience, a fusion of history and prestige. And its about savouring the moment. It has been the inspiration and aspiration of many. Think Macquarie Bank and its logo! Museums, the world over. Historians, collectors, investors, both local and international.</p><p>This offer is all about seizing the opportunity and matching a Holey Dollar to suit your budget.</p><p>In a presentation befitting the coin, each Holey Dollar will be presented in a bespoke case made from Australian timbers, designed and crafted by Anton Gerner. And an individual catalogue will be prepared for each coin, with photographs and detailed information.</p><p>The five Holey Dollars have now sold. Contact us if you would like to receive advice of upcoming Holey Dollar inventory.</p>

<p>This is an impressive 1930 Penny. We note it’s been almost a year since we last offered one of this calibre. And at this price. The coin is elegant. The coin has finesse and is for the collector that has been sitting back waiting for the ‘right’ 1930 Penny to come along. It is an exciting 1930 Penny, for the exceptional quality traits it possesses. The reverse is graded Very Fine, the coin having crisp upper and lower scrolls, well-defined inner beading, strong legend and strong date. The obverse is graded Nearly Very Fine with an almost full central diamond and six plump pearls. We also note the years of usage have treated it very, very kindly. It is an original, intact, well struck 1930 Penny with glossy fields and minimal signs of usage. The past fifty-plus years in the business have taught us that you do not see 1930 Pennies like this every day. Or every month. Or every year for that matter!</p>

<p>Australia issued sovereigns between 1855 and 1931 and while the appeal of the sovereign is enhanced by different versions featuring the effigies of various monarchs, no coin is as popular as the first Australian sovereign, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign. And this example is a prize. A superior quality coin offered in Nearly Uncirculated / Uncirculated. Two things stand out when you look at the coin in your hand. The fields are smooth and lustrous. The reflective nature of the obverse is spectacular. And the detail on both obverse and reverse is super fine. Under the eye glass the coin continues to shine for the reverse is sharp, the cross on the orb at the top of the crown is complete, the fleur de lis on left and right are precise as are the pleats in the cloth. And so is ‘AUSTRALIA’ below the crown. And there is just a whisper touch to the hairline at the top of Victoria’s forehead.</p>

<p>Lachlan Macquarie's initiative in creating our first currency reflected his Scottish culture, of being practical and resourceful. He created two coins, the Holey Dollar and the Dump, out of one coin. A single Spanish Silver Dollar. And while the Holey Dollar clearly shows that it was carved out from a Spanish dollar, sadly most Dumps don't reflect their origins and look as though they could have been minted from an ordinary blank silver disc. Not so with this 1813 Dump. The coin is a dynamic example of Australia’s first fifteen pence with extensive undertype on the reverse that confirms it was struck from a bust style Spanish Silver Dollar. Other quite extraordinary elements of this coin include the 'H' for Henshall (not normally present in D/2 Dumps) and the fullness of the legend and date (normally shallow in D/2 Dumps). Beautifully toned, highly reflective surfaces, pristine design detail ... this 1813 Dump was last sold in 2001 and is available now.</p>

<p>Australia’s Gold Rush of the 1850s had a major impact on Britain, stimulating trade and investment and changing the perception of Australia as a remote penal colony to a land of opportunity. The finest examples of the colony’s gold coins were pursued by Britain’s leading collectors, Montagu Hyman and John G. Murdoch. And Europe's Baron Philippe Ferrari La Renotiere whose collection was sold under the pseudonym, Nobleman. This 1852 Adelaide One Pound coin was struck in the first production run and is from the esteemed Nobleman Collection. On both counts, quality and strike, the Nobleman One Pound is genuinely exceptional and the very reason why it is universally ranked as number one. The coin has never circulated and is presented in a virtually mint state with much original bloom.</p>

<p>Australians were eager to welcome in a new currency when Edward VIII became king in 1936. The threepence, shilling and florin were up for major design revisions, as was the penny. The changes were put on the back burner when Edward VIII abdicated the British throne. In 1937, to create a distraction from the Royal scandal, the Australian Government authorised the striking of its first crowned sized coin. The five shillings was struck in sterling silver and weighed 28.27 grams with a diameter of 38.5 mm. A trickle over 1 million crowns were released into circulation. One hundred 1937 Proof Crowns were especially struck to sell to the public. While the circulating crown is readily available, the 1937 Proof Crown, with its tight mintage, is extremely difficult to acquire, confirmed by the frequency of our offerings. Its been more than twelve months since we last offered a proof crown.</p>

<p>Leafing through the early John G. Murdoch Sotheby's catalogue of 1904 and those of Spink Auctions 1978, 1981 and 1989 and more recently the Quartermaster catalogue of 2009, you are in no doubt of the enormous historical and numismatic significance that the Kangaroo Office gold pieces carry. The coins are today as influential and as charismatic as they were more than a century ago. The five gold Kangaroo Office pieces offered at the Quartermaster Auction (of which this coin was one) came with an estimated low value totalling $1.125 million. And an estimated high value of $1.32 million. Only two of the five pieces sold above their 'high' estimate, the gold shilling (sold by Coinworks last week). And this coin, the gold sixpence, ex Murdoch Collection 1904. This is a pivotal moment for just one buyer. It’s a weighty decision to knock back a gold Kangaroo Office piece. Chances are you won’t be offered another one for at least a decade, maybe even two.</p>

<p>This Kangaroo Office Gold Shilling was first sighted in London in 1904, as part of the esteemed John G. Murdoch Collection. No other examples are known. Leafing through the bound editions of the early catalogues of 1904 (John G. Murdoch), 1922 (Baron Philip Ferrari La Renotiere) and 1954 (King Farouk), you are in no doubt of the enormous historical and numismatic significance that this piece carries. It embodies history. The Gold Kangaroo Patterns are at the top of their class and this gold shilling is the best in its category, struck with a grained edge indicating that it was minted circa 1855. Exceptional design. Unique style. Rich in history. A piece that has global standing. This Kangaroo Office Gold Shilling is a 'trophy' piece.</p><p></p>

<p>History has judged British entrepreneur William Taylor a 'big noter'. He aspired to own and operate a private mint in Melbourne and create a new gold coinage for the colonies. The mint was called the Kangaroo Office and opened in May 1854. Taylor ultimately embraced other metals and struck coins in silver and copper, aluminium and even pewter. They are extremely rare and have been owned by some of history's most lauded collectors, Britain's Hyman Montague and John G Murdoch, Egypt's King Farouk and America's J. J. Pitman. And Australian collectors Philip Spalding and Tom Hadley of Quartermaster fame. This perfectly matched pair was acquired by Coinworks in 2002 from Barrie Winsor, who had acquired them from renowned US dealer Wayte Raymond. They are magnificent! We can certainly attest to their rarity this being the second only pair we have sold over the last twenty-five years.</p>

<p>This Holey Dollar is a coin with authority. It is unique and so important to the Holey Dollar narrative that it was featured in Philip Spalding’s book the World of the Holey Dollar in his chapter on the ‘Top Dollars’. That the coin has circulated does not detract from its importance. It simply takes the coin to a price level that engages a wider audience. Its importance pertains to the date of the silver dollar, ‘1789’. It was issued during the reign of Charles IV, yet the dollar features the portrait and legend of his father, Charles III, who died in 1788. Fewer than three hundred Holey Dollars survive today and of those, only two have this extraordinary design detail. Each is unique. The first is this example, the dollar originating from the Mexico Mint in Mexico. The second, a Holey Dollar with ties to the Lima Mint in Peru. This is an historic offering of an important Holey Dollar, a coin that plays a pivotal role in Australia's Holey Dollar story. (A copy of Spalding's book will be gifted with this Holey Dollar.)</p>

<p>The Hannibal Head Holey Dollar is the coin for the buyer aspiring to the best. A buyer that respects quality and recognises the importance of a documented provenance, today and into the future. A buyer that will enjoy the history of a coin that has been making media headlines, both in Australia and in Britain since 1883, nearly a century-and-a half ago! No other Holey Dollar can match this coin for its fame. And its level of public recognition.</p><p>Every coin tells a story and this Holey Dollar, the famous 'Hannibal Head' Holey Dollar, surpasses all others for its story-telling. It was struck from a Spanish Silver Dollar that was especially designed and minted to protest the ascension to the throne of Joseph Bonaparte and is one of two known, this being the finest. The coin was discovered in 1881, near Hobart, and presented to Sir John Henry Lefroy, Governor of Van Diemen’s Land. Of the three hundred surviving Holey Dollars, the Hannibal Head Holey Dollar has the highest public profile. And a much publicised, documented pedigree. Its discovery was written up in Hobart's Mercury Newspaper in 1883 and the Sydney Morning Herald in 1884. But its greatest claim to fame is that a pencil drawing, published in the London Numismatic Chronicle of 1883, is the earliest known drawing of Australia's first coinage. This is an historic offering of an important Holey Dollar, a coin that plays a pivotal role in Australia's Holey Dollar story. A coin that has also been the highlight of two exhibitions, at the Macquarie Bank in 2013 and the Royal Australian Mint Canberra in 2019.</p>

<p>This is a gem of a coin, a Choice Uncirculated 1852 Adelaide Pound. And we are not the only one to think so. The coin made its first appearance on the market at auction in 1997. Also described by Nobles Auction as 'a gem' and the quality ranking of Choice Uncirculated, the coin fetched an impressive $15,950 on an estimate of $9000. A second auction appearance in November 2001 produced similar results, $30,000 on a pre-sale estimate of $16,000. Two aspects characterise this coin. It is lustrous with much original brilliance. And the design has been brilliantly executed, noticeable in the edge denticles, the legend and the fine detail in the crown.</p>

This 1852 Adelaide Pound is visually appealing and technically solid. The design details are intact with slight touches to the high points. The fields are reflective. And despite its usage, there are none of the gouges and knocks you would expect to see in a circulated gold coin. Furthermore, the coin was well struck and the legend is strong and legible, particularly in the 'Assay Office' area which is notoriously weak in Adelaide Pounds struck using the second die. This is a much-loved example of the nation’s first gold coin available at a very affordable price. Check out the technical shots. It's a great example of the nation's very first gold coin.

13 January, 2004 was a watershed moment for the 1813 Dump when two of the absolute finest D/2 Dumps were offered at Stacks, New York opening auction for the year. Always viewed as the passive partner to the higher denomination Holey Dollar, the D/2 Dumps, forced a market-rethink about their status and the price at which top quality Dumps can - and should - command. Both coins, the former property of revered US collector J. J. Ford exhibited an exceptional strike and were brilliantly preserved and reached previously unheard of price levels. The coins put top quality 1813 Dumps 'on the map' on a worldwide scale. And this coin is one of them.

This coin is a prize. It is a superior example of the nation’s first sovereign, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign, offered in a quality of Uncirculated. The design detail is clear, even to the naked eye. And under the eye glass the coin continues to shine for the crown is well struck, the cross on the orb at the top of the crown is complete, the fleur de lis on left and right are precise as are the pleats in the cloth. And so is ‘AUSTRALIA’ below the crown. And the hairline at the top of Victoria’s forehead is well struck and untouched. The technical shots in the 'Learn More' section below confirm the coin's glorious state.

The Sir Marcus Clarke 1813 Dump is a remarkable piece of colonial history. At Good Extremely Fine, it is extraordinary and one of the highest quality levels that can be aspired to, a level that is very rarely seen in a coin that was essentially, the workhorse of the colony. The coin is sharply struck, brilliantly preserved, the fields highly reflective. Under the eye glass, the coin simply shines, boasting detail that is rarely ever seen. Who knew there was a finely detailed cross on the orb at the top of the crown? With this Dump, the vertical line and the right-hand side of the horizontal line that make up the cross on the orb on the crown is visible, a close-up of which is shown below. We have seen this level of detail in only one other example. The design of the original Spanish Silver Dollar from which this Dump was created is extensive and appears on the crown-side of the coin which aesthetically, we favour. The castle, the lion’s tail, the central oval containing the fleur de lis and the cross bars in the shield. All evident. A truly extraordinary piece of colonial Australia.

This 1813 Dump comes with impeccable credentials. It is an inordinately rare example of the nation’s first fifteen pence. Struck from a die combination that historians refer to as obverse die ‘E’ and reverse die ‘3’, less than twenty examples are known. Over and above its rarity, the quality of this coin is absolutely supreme. The finest of the E/3 Dumps, it was offered by Spink Auctions Australia in March 1988, an auction that brought together a cavalcade of the nation’s top coins in celebration of our Bicentenary. The coin was exhibited in 2013 at the Macquarie Bank, Sydney. And in 2019 at the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra. It is a much revered piece, recorded in the Mira Noble Holey Dollar reference book (page 92) and the Greg McDonald Australian Coins and Banknotes reference book (page 162).

This is a stunning 1947 Proof Florin, featuring Australia’s new Coat of Arms design on the reverse and the portrait of George VI on the obverse. Struck as a Coin of Record at the Melbourne Mint, it is one of two privately held examples. It is a valuable and important acquisition for during the George VI era of 1938 to 1952, the Melbourne Mint only struck Coins of Record of its silver denominations in 1939, 1945, 1946 and 1947. And only three of them offer collectors opportunities for purchase 1939, 1946 and 1947, the silver proofs of 1945 held in the Museum of Victoria.

<p>This is a generational wealth opportunity. A unique proof coin pairing, issued by the Perth Mint in an historically defining year. Over its one hundred-and twenty-six-year minting history, from the day it opened on 20 June 1899 until this very day, the Perth Mint has, only once, produced a pairing of a proof sovereign and a proof half sovereign. </p><p>The year was '1901'. Australia's year of Federation. And only one pair, out of the original mintage, survives today. Records indicate that the Museum of Victoria and the British Museum are the only institutions to hold Perth Mint Coins of Record, each having an 1899 Sovereign and 1901 Half Sovereign. No pairs are held in any institutions worldwide, including the Perth Mint. This unique Perth Mint 1901 Proof Sovereign and 1901 Proof Half Sovereign is held by a Melbourne collector, and is now offered for private sale.</p>

This is an impressive 1930 Penny, in the top ten to fifteen per cent of surviving examples, with a grading of Nearly Very Fine on the obverse and Very Fine on the reverse. The significant details such as the upper and lower scrolls, the legend and the date ‘1930’ are all prominent. And the inner beading which is invariably weakly struck between the 4 o'clock and 6 o'clock area is well defined. And the edges, which we also consider important, are solid. Flip the coin, over and the monarch's crown shows three, almost four, sides of the central diamond and six plump pearls. The oval to the left of the central diamond is almost complete. Moreover, the toning is a consistent and a handsome chocolate brown, the fields glossy and highly reflective. Technical shots are shown below and confirm the fabulous state of this coin.

This 1930 Penny is graded Good Very Fine and would be placed in the top 5 per cent of surviving examples. A coin at this level of quality would be sighted on the market, perhaps once every one to two years. On the obverse, the coin has a full central diamond and traces of the seventh and eighth pearl. The reverse is equally impressive with well-defined inner beading, crisp upper and lower scrolls and a strong '1930' date. On both obverse and reverse, the toning is even and handsome. The fields are smooth and glossy. Now, it is a fact that the most frequently sighted 1930 Penny is a well circulated Fine. This coin, at Good Very Fine, is at least five grades higher. Technical shots are provided.

This 1893 Proof Sovereign is historic. It is a Coin of Record struck at the Melbourne Mint and a record of history in the truest sense. Minted as a permanent currency record of a new portrait design of Queen Victoria, the coin is stunningly beautiful with brilliant mirror fields that bounce the light and project a wealth of design depth. This 1893 Proof Sovereign also is extremely rare as one of two known, ex Murdoch Collection sold at Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge London 1903.

This 1926 Proof Shilling was formerly owned by three numismatic luminaries, Philip Spalding, Barrie Winsor and Ian Withers. You just know the coin will be exceptional. These three collectors never owned a piece that was trifling. Indeed, their reputations were built on coins such as this Proof 1926 Shilling, a fully brilliant proof coin with iridescent toning, FDC and extremely rare as one of two known.