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This 1852 Adelaide Pound is offered in a remarkable state. The grading level is Uncirculated, so it has never been used. And the coin is lustrous, in fact fully lustrous on the reverse and almost proof-like. There is only one explanation that we can offer as to its condition. The coin must have been tucked away soon after it was created. Dealers are aware. As are collectors. This coin offers a level of quality that is rarely offered. This is the second only Uncirculated Type II Adelaide Pound that we have offered over the past five years.

This Proof 1926 Halfpenny impressed the market when it came up at auction in July 1993. Competitive bidding saw it sell for $3000, well in excess of its then catalogue value and pre-auction estimate of $2000. The competitive bidding reflects the defining properties of the coin and its outstanding quality traits. This Proof 1926 Halfpenny was struck at the Melbourne Mint as a Coin of Record. Take it under the light and it is everything that you would expect from a proof coin. Super smooth, mirror-like surfaces radiating stunning colours. The extra bonus is that the coin has retained some original copper brilliance, particularly on the obverse. Furthermore, it is rare. This coin is the only Proof 1926 Halfpenny we have sold.

There are Adelaide Pounds. And then there is the HAMMEL Adelaide Pound, so named because it was formerly owned by one of the world's greatest 20th century gold coin collectors, Mortimer Hammel. It is one of the absolute finest examples of Australia’s first gold coin and when viewed it simply glows. Its highly lustrous, brilliant state implies that the coin must have been put aside soon after minting and has had special care ever since its striking. The person who acquires this Adelaide Pound will take their place in history, permanently associating themselves with both the coin and the famous Hammel name.

For most Australian rare coin collectors, acquiring an 1852 Adelaide Pound fulfils a lifetime’s ambition. The coin holds a special place in Australia’s history and in the hearts of Australian rare coin collectors like no other. Struck one year after gold was discovered in Victoria in 1851, it is the nation’s very first gold coin. The Adelaide Pound is rare, so finding an example that doesn't break the bank is no easy task. Which is why we are so excited about this coin. It is genuinely tough to secure an Adelaide Pound that fits our protocols, is well presented and is suitable to most collector's budgets. This is an extremely attractive 1852 Adelaide Pound and shows minimal effects of circulation. It is a piece that you will be proud to show your family and friends.

When this 1959 Melbourne Mint Proof Set came across the counter our eyes lit up. It is unequivocally one of the finest we have seen. The 1959 Melbourne Mint Proof Set is notoriously difficult to acquire in top quality mainly due to the state of the copper penny and halfpenny. The coins tone. And while toning is quite obviously acceptable in the numismatic industry, for whatever reason the 1959 Proof Penny and the 1959 Proof Halfpenny tend to tone to a different degree and look mismatched. It is the state of the copper proofs within the 1959 Proof Set that leads us to say that, if you are a collector that is driven by quality, the 1959 Melbourne Mint Proof Set is the most difficult to acquire out of the entire series. As the photograph shows, the four silver coins are stunning, the two coppers superbly matched with original copper brilliance under a very light smoky toning.

Original Uncirculated quality. "Music" to a banknote collector's ears. Particularly when you are referring to a note that was issued at the commencement of World War II. Over and above its brilliant state, this 1939 Sheehan McFarlane Five Pounds is historically significant as the first Five Pounds of the George VI era. It is extremely rare and very affordable and is a far-sighted piece to tuck away for the future either for yourself, for your children or your grandchildren.

This 1930 Penny has a full central diamond and six plump pearls and it is these two aspects, the diamond and the pearls, that classifies this coin as one of the very best, in the top ten per cent. This coin will appeal to the buyer that has always wanted a 1930 Penny and has been looking for a top-grade example. It will also appeal to the investor for high quality 1930 Pennies, such as this coin, are extremely rare. We estimate that we would handle one, or at the very tops two, Very Fine 1930 Pennies annually. And price watchers will note that this 1930 Penny has been favourably priced.

This coin is a prized piece. It ticks all the boxes. Quality. Rarity. Pedigree. And historical standing. The 1852 Cracked Die Adelaide Pound has an exalted position in Australia’s currency history as the nation’s first gold coin. Furthermore it was minted in the very first production run of Adelaide Pounds. What we know today is that forty Cracked Die Adelaide Pounds are in collector’s hands and most of them have circulated with more than fifty per cent heavily circulated. The reality is that of the forty known Cracked Dies, only three are Uncirculated and this coin is one of the three, formerly owned by renowned gold coin collector, American Mortimer Hammel.

A proof penny with original copper brilliance. And three glorious silver proofs, the shilling, sixpence and threepence. The four coins together make up a complete 1955 Melbourne Mint Proof Set. This Set is as IMPORTANT as it is RARE. Rare because only 1200 sets were issued. (This being one of the finest around.) Important because '1955' was the very first year that the Melbourne Mint commenced a proof coining program for collectors. And this 1955 Proof Set kick-started the series. (This 1955 Melbourne Mint Proof Set has attracted our BONUS OFFER of a free 1963 Melbourne Mint Proof Set. See below in the Read More section.)

We love this coin. And in fact, we were the under bidder when it was offered at a Sydney Auction several years ago, outgunned by a very determined and experienced Victorian collector. (The same vendor also owned the third finest known 1930 Penny that we sold last year for $150,000 so he has a great eye for quality.) The collector has been passionate about coins since he was a child. Now approaching retirement, he has consigned this prized gem to Coinworks for private sale. Our view on the coin today is exactly the same as it was a few years ago when we entered the auction room. It's just a really impressive 1930 Penny made even more impressive by our bonus offer of a Choice Uncirculated 1930 Melbourne Mint Sovereign.

The greatness and the historical significance of Australia’s proof coinage is exemplified in the Proof 1930 Penny. And this coin, the Proof 1921 Star Shilling. Both coins are numismatic greats and capture grand moments in time. And both coins are rare. Three examples of the Proof 1930 Penny are privately held. And only ONE of the Proof 1921 Star Shilling. This coin.

We estimate there are about 150 Square Pennies available to collectors, of varying dates and designs. At the same time there are about 12 Square Halfpennies. So, if you are a Square Penny collector and you want a Square Halfpenny, then consider that there could be at least TEN other buyers searching for that same prized halfpenny acquisition. It’s these odds that have made the Square Halfpenny one of Australia’s most elusive and sought-after coin rarities. In demand from collectors of the kookaburra coin series. And in demand from buyers with a pure investment focus.

With this 1930 Penny you can tick the box for QUALITY. The coin has survived its time in circulation with minimal affect. You can also tick the box on PRICE for at $24,500 this 1930 Penny is advantageously priced. But there is a third box relating to this coin that must also be ticked. And that's the box titled VALUE FOR MONEY for over the next three weeks we are giving away a Choice Uncirculated 1930 Melbourne Mint Sovereign with every 1930 Penny sold. A great 1930 Penny has now become even greater with our bonus offer.

A provenance can say a lot about a coin. And it speaks volumes about this superb Proof 1931 Penny for it was especially selected for the owner of the Madrid Collection of Australian Rare coins in 2001. A passionate collector of Australian proof coppers, his clear buying focus was for QUALITY and RARITY and he found both with this coin. Superb crisp design detail under handsome light smoky toning. Smooth fields. His quest for rarity was satisfied in the knowledge that only three Proof 1931 Pennies were known. There was one other attribute that inspired the owner of the Madrid Collection of Australian Rare Coins. He respected and appreciated the importance of 'key dates' and sought them out whenever the opportunity arose. And he was keenly aware that the year '1931' is an important date in the penny series.

The 1882 Half Sovereign struck at the Sydney Mint is one of the absolute key dates of the Young Head Series. And this coin at Gem Uncirculated is the finest known. That’s a powerful combination. The finest. Of the scarcest. Two attributes that make this coin an ideal choice for the pure investor or the collector that wants to relish in the pleasure of owning the very best. And note the provenance. The coin was acquired from Barrie Winsor who indicated that it came from Knightsbridge Coins, London, the same source that provided the example housed in the Quartermaster collection. Technical photos are provided in the READ MORE section.

The opportunity to acquire one of the finest - and one of the rarest - Holey Dollars comes to very few collectors. Struck from a Ferdinand VII Spanish Silver Dollar this Holey Dollar is one of the absolute rarest. Only TWELVE Ferdinand VII Holey Dollars are privately owned. And with coin and counter stamps at about Extremely Fine, this Holey Dollar is absolutely, one of the finest. The accolades continue with this coin. Philip Spalding rated this coin as “One of the Top Dollars” and featured it in his book "The World of the Holey Dollar". We rate it similarly. It is one of the very best.

Prices of Australian pre-decimal proofs rocketed in the year 2000 following the appearance of this 1920 Proof Penny at a Melbourne Auction. The only known example in private hands, the coin was the showpiece of a small collection of proof coppers that had been struck at the Melbourne Mint between 1920 and 1932. The coins had never been sighted before. The vendor indicated that he had bought the collection in the 1950s from renowned collector Roy Farman who had held them from the day they were struck. We attended the auction and the competition for acquisition was amazing, as strong as we have ever seen. The coins sold for prices that were almost double estimate and it is noted that pre-auction estimates reflected price guides at the time. And the reason for the heady prices?

This 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is presented in Extremely Fine, with minimal marks in the field and original lustre in the legend on both the obverse and reverse. Given the superior quality of this coin we ask the question. Which coin is the more difficult to acquire in this superior state? The 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign or the 1852 Adelaide Pound? First gold sovereign or first gold pound? From an examination of auction records – and our own experience - the answer is very clearly, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign. In fact, our first sovereign is four times harder to find than the Adelaide Pound. Technical shots are shown below and we have included a chart that shows the genuine scarcity of the 1855 Sovereign in the upper quality levels.

The 1930 Penny is legendary, and its star status has made it one of Australia's most valuable rare coins. Because the dollars involved in acquiring a 1930 Penny are considerable, we offer one very basic tip for buyers to assist them in their decision-making process. Select a 1930 Penny that is visually very attractive and has no obvious defects from its time in circulation. This simple point will really count when, further down the track, it comes time for you to sell your coin and realise on your investment. The 1930 Penny that we have for sale fits that profile in every respect and is as per the photographs above and at right. The coin has a technical obverse grading of Good Fine. The reverse is graded higher again at About Very Fine with strong upper and lower scrolls and well defined inner beading.

This Choice Uncirculated 1923 Halfpenny was acquired in 2008 by the owner of the Madrid Collection of Australian Rare Coins. It was, at the time, one of two elite 1923 Halfpennies that came to the market for private sale. The first coin was the unique Proof 1923 Halfpenny. The second coin was this example: a coin that was originally struck for circulation but had survived the production process and preserved in an almost proof-like state. Our client was not influenced by the dollars involved, he had the capacity to acquire both pieces. But he opted for the latter. He is one of many collectors that respect the magnitude of top quality ‘circulating’ coins over of the substance of proof coinage.

That great value is to be had in the banknote market is clearly evidenced in this George V Riddle Sheehan One Pound. Every box is ticked. The note introduced a new design, and that’s important to collectors. It offers quality that can’t be improved upon at Uncirculated. Issued in an era that is especially popular, George V. And available at a price that is very affordable.

Retired numismatic dealer, Ross Pratley, was passionate about Australia’s history and the role that currency plays in defining and recording our past. He indulged his passion through the acquisition of pre-federation banknotes, including this spectacular colonial rarity. And by accumulating one of the finest collections of Australian half sovereigns the nation has ever seen for as a dealer, he had access to the very best. This 1824 Bank of New South Wales Twenty Spanish Dollars was issued on 1 January 1824 and entered in the bank’s ledger as note number 31164. It was Pratley’s prized possession. A profoundly important piece of colonial history. Tangible evidence of the brief window in Australia’s past when the influence of the Spanish Silver Dollar was at its zenith and the finances of the penal colony of New South Wales were expressed in Spanish Silver Dollars. Our first decimal banknote as such. Made even more important by the note’s rarity. While two examples are held as museum pieces in Westpac Archives, this is the only example privately held. Collectors and investors alike will appreciate the value that this wonderful piece of Australiana presents when you consider that 200 Holey Dollars are available to collectors. And only one of this banknote.

The 1852 Adelaide Pound holds a very special in Australia's history as the nation's first gold coin. It was struck at the Government Office in Adelaide from 22 carat gold brought from the Victorian goldfields. Its status as our first gold coin ensures that it will always be sought after and underpins its investment value. Its investment value is also preserved by its rarity for the industry estimates that perhaps 250 examples are available to collectors, across all quality levels. The Adelaide Pound is a valuable coin so finding an example that doesn’t break the bank can be challenging which is why we are so excited by this coin. The coin has fared extremely well during its time in circulation, is well presented and is offered in a price range that is suitable to most collector's budgets.

In 2018, proof gold has emerged as one of the most fiercely contested areas of the rare coin market. Over the last twelve months, prices paid at auction for proof sovereigns and proof half sovereigns have surged by about 20 per cent, the consequence of increased demand. Now while it is true that gold is Australia’s most popular collecting metal, the key to the growth in proof gold has been its inordinate scarcity. Buyers know that there is never a chance that the market will be flooded with examples. The scarcity has simply given the market the confidence to buy. This coin is a case in point. We are aware of two Proof 1930 Melbourne Mint Sovereigns. This coin, sold by private treaty in the 1990s through Monetarium Sydney and now in our hands. And one other example that appeared at public auction in 1988. But that’s as far as it goes for the year 1930. And proof sovereigns. The Sydney Mint was not producing coins having closed in 1926 and it is on record that the Perth Mint did not strike proofs in 1930, the year of the Great Depression.

The original intention of proof coining was to create a numismatic masterpiece that would represent an era in Australia's history and tell a story that was an indelible part of our nation's past. The Melbourne Mint created a numismatic masterpiece when it struck the 1927 Proof Canberra Florin. The Duke of York officially opened Parliament House in Canberra on 9 May 1927. To commemorate the occasion, the Government authorised the minting of the Canberra Florin featuring Parliament House on the reverse and George V on the obverse. The Melbourne Mint issued 400 limited edition collector coins struck to proof quality. This coin is a superb example from the original mintage.