Recent Sales

The 1855 Sydney Mint Half Sovereign has a unique status as Australia’s very first half sovereign - struck at the nation’s first mint, the Sydney Mint. The coin is amazingly rare. Less than fifty examples are known today and let’s be clear on this point. That’s not fifty at each quality level. That’s fifty across all quality levels. (To put this figure into perspective, the industry estimates that 1500 to 2000 1930 Pennies, across all quality levels, are known.)

The State Library of New South Wales, confirms through its archival documents the extreme rarity of this 1926 Specimen Sovereign. The Library also confirms the coin’s importance and ceremonious origins. The coin was struck on the 11 August 1926 - the very last day of operation of the Sydney Mint - in a ceremony attended by numismatic luminaries such as Mr A M Le Souef and Sir William Dixson.

The 1813 Dump and its partner, the Holey Dollar, were the first coins struck in Australia. Not only are they very rare, but their fascinating history has made them two of the world’s most famous coins. This 1813 Dump is a premium quality piece. Presented in a quality level of good Very Fine it is ranked in the top eight per cent of known surviving examples and is definitely one to tuck away for the future.

The 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is the one coin that has pride of place in every sovereign collection. As Australia’s first gold sovereign minted at the Sydney Mint - the nation’s very first mint - it brings to any collection a wonderful and everlasting history. But the 1855 Sydney Mint sovereign offers more than history. In the quality level offered here it also is extremely rare.

This 1937 Proof Shilling is a coin fit for royalty. Literally. It is unique in private hands. The only other known example was struck for George VI and is housed in the Royal Coin Collection housed at Windsor Castle. Only a person of influence would ever have had access to such a striking. No surprise therefore that the original owner was Sir Robert Johnson, Deputy Mint Master of the Royal Mint London.

Eighty years (1937 – 2017) have elapsed since the Melbourne Mint issued the 1937 Crown. While one million coins were released into circulation, only 100 coins were struck to proof quality as collector pieces to gift to dignitaries and sell to the collecting public. This coin is one of the finest examples out of the original mintage of 100 Proof Crowns, a superb FDC example with unblemished mirror fields contrasting a deeply etched design.

This coin is of the highest rarity and for three very basic reasons. The first is the inclusion of the word ‘proof’ in its description which indicates that this coin was struck as a collector piece – and was not struck for circulation. The second is the date ‘1927’. In terms of proof pennies, ‘1927’ is the rare one. The third defining aspect of this coin is its quality. It is one of the very best with much original copper brilliance.

This 1897 Proof Half Sovereign is a prized collector piece. We have traced its provenance back to the year in which it was struck when it became the property of wealthy London businessman John G Murdoch. History records that Murdoch, an avid collector, financed the striking of the proof half sovereigns in 1897 at the Melbourne Mint. Three were believed struck, each coin featuring the Veiled Head portrait of Queen Victoria. This coin, is to our knowledge, the only example out of the original mintage to be sighted on the open market.

This 1872 Sovereign is pivotal to Australia’s gold coin history for it represents the very first year of sovereign production at the Melbourne Mint and depicts the Young Head design of Queen Victoria with the St George reverse. Not only the first year of production at the mint in Melbourne, but this coin has the lowest recorded mintage of the entire Young Head Shield series, from both the Sydney and Melbourne Mint. (History records that the dies dated 1872 did not reach the Melbourne Mint until April of that year.)

This 1897 Sydney Mint Half Sovereign is the absolute finest of its year. That’s not only our opinion, it also was the opinion of the Auction House when it was offered for sale in November 2007. A fiercely contested bidding war saw the coin sell for 50 per cent above its pre-auction estimate of $10,000. Gem Uncirculated is the highest quality level that a collector can aspire to and it is very rarely ever seen, particularly amongst gold coins.

We have been trying to secure a Holey Dollar below the $ 75,000 level for at least twelve months. The coin had to conform to our selection protocols. And meet our price expectations. The combination proved very difficult to find … until now. This coin fits the bill and will make owning a Holey Dollar a reality for one collector.

This Holey Dollar was struck from a Spanish Silver Dollar that was minted in 1803 and depicts the portrait and legend of Charles IIII. The original silver dollar is graded Good Very Fine and has uniformly toned to a glorious, soft gun-metal blue grey. The surfaces are smooth and there is original lustre in the legend Carolus IIII. The counter-stamps New South Wales, 1813 and Five Shillings are of an exceptional nature: the lettering highlighted by original golden lustre and beautiful colours. The technical grading of the counter-stamps is Extremely Fine.

This 1868 Sydney Mint Sovereign is a remarkable piece of colonial history. The coin was issued at Australia’s first mint, the Sydney Mint nearly 150 years ago yet it looks like it was plucked off the production line yesterday. The design imparted a uniquely Australian flavour into the nation’s first official gold coinage, a young Queen Victoria wearing a sprig of native banksia in her hair. And the word AUSTRALIA appearing on the reverse. And while this may seem trite … ‘Australia’ only appeared on Australia’s sovereigns between 1855 and 1870 making the Sydney Mint design one of the most innovative and important in Australia’s sovereign history.

When Melbourne journalist Anthony Black asked Coinworks to list ten coin rarities that were priced below $ 10,000 - and were destined for growth – the Perth Mint proofs struck between 1957 and 1963 were high on our list. Coins such as this 1963 Proof Penny and Halfpenny would have been amongst them. Priced at a level that attracts inordinate buyer interest and it is the demand coupled with the extreme scarcity of quality examples that will ultimately deliver capital growth. These are limited edition collector coins: a popular choice amongst our clients, in particular those that are looking to tuck away something truly special for children or grandchildren.

When Melbourne journalist Anthony Black asked Coinworks to list ten coin rarities that were priced below $ 10,000 - and were destined for growth – the Perth Mint proofs struck between 1957 and 1963 were high on our list. Coins such as this 1957, 1958 and 1959 Perth Mint Proof Penny would have been amongst them. And while we are offering the coins as a trio, you can take your pick and acquire just one, two or all three of the coins. The price of each coin is $ 3500. Or $ 9500 for the trio.

The availability of a Melbourne Mint 1930 Sovereign is an opportunity. If you happen to be offered one of exceptional quality, such as this coin, then the opportunity is even more profound.

This 1956 Perth Mint Proof Penny is a blazing, solid orange copper proof with impeccable surfaces. It presents quality that is impossible to improve upon; standards that set the benchmark for all other examples. No surprise therefore that at the Perth Money Expo earlier this year and again in Melbourne in August it was one of the feature coins of our display. We are a company that prides itself on offering premium quality rarities, across all dollar levels, and this coin fulfils our ideals in every regard.

That proof coining is a tradition that goes back centuries is exemplified in this superb 1787 George III Gold Proof Spade Guinea. Struck in the year the First Fleet sailed from British shores, the coin has superb detail, brilliant mirror fields and shows extensive die striations from meticulous die polishing. Qualities that are the hallmark of proof coining.

This 1930 Penny is all class. And at this quality level, a great rarity. The coin is graded nearly Very Fine with an almost complete central diamond and six strong pearls. The upper and lower scrolls are strong. The circular beading crisp. Even toning and smooth fields add further to its appeal. And web watchers will note the infrequent appearances on the Coinworks website of 1930 Pennies at this high quality level: a reflection of the scarcity of premium quality examples.

It is coins of the calibre of this 1937 Uniface florin that has cemented Coinworks reputation for handling the very best quality and the most significant of Australian coin rarities. The 1937 Pattern Florin is a coin of great historical importance. With five held in private hands it also is great rarity. Furthermore, the quality of this coin is superb. It is proof-like in appearance and has toned a magnificent pale pink/mauve hue. We have seen the five, and in our view it is the absolute finest. The former property of revered Australian collector Ray Jewell, it has been held by its current owner for more than twenty years. Now in a retirement phase the owner has decided to sell.

The 1886 Shield Sovereign is a prized collector piece. Australia’s Queen Victoria Shield Sovereigns are recognized for their scarcity the world over, and the 1886 Melbourne the rarest of them all. And this particular 1886 Shield Sovereign is the finest known. An endorsement of its quality it is even superior to the example that appeared in the legendary Quartermaster Collection. This combination of rarity and quality is impossible to beat.

The 1923 Halfpenny is an Aussie icon. The coin is the nation’s scarcest halfpenny. While well circulated examples are reasonably readily available, in the quality level of this coin, the 1923 Halfpenny is a genuine Australian coin rarity. This coin is in a remarkable state of preservation with glossy smooth surfaces and just a hint of circulation and is the exception to those most commonly seen. You would be lucky to sight one, perhaps two examples of the 1923 Halfpenny at this quality level on the open market annually.