The Melbourne Mint opened in 1872 as a branch of the Royal Mint London, its main function to produce gold sovereigns and half sovereigns. Its gold coin production ceased in 1931.

Three monarchs reigned between 1872 and 1931, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and George V.

The Melbourne Mint struck Coins of Record sporadically. Of the record pieces that were produced, those of Edward VII are the least available for collectors. (Confirmed in our chart below.)

John G. Murdoch was an influential British collector. He developed a strong business relationship with the Melbourne Mint and was one of the few collectors that was regularly supplied Coins of Record from 1884 until 1901, through the Young Head, Jubilee and Veiled era of Queen Victoria.  

The market for Australia’s proof gold coins is international and it is dynamic. Without the involvement of John G. Murdoch, Australia's gold Coins of Record may never have seen the light of day, permanently stored in Government archives and out of reach of collectors.  

Murdoch single-handedly created a market by taking Australian gold proofs into the buy/sell environment of collectors. And he struck a perfect balance with the market (then and today) with the quantities he held. 

The coins moved onto the international stage when Murdoch's collection was liquidated via Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge in London in 1903 following his passing in 1902.  

Murdoch's death in 1902 had a dramatic impact on production of Coins of Record at the Melbourne Mint.

Technically, it fell off a cliff.

Only one Melbourne Mint 1902 Proof Sovereign is known. Formerly held by the South Africa Mint (a temporary branch of the Royal Mint, 1923 - 1941) it is now held by a private collector. 

No 1902 Proof Half Sovereigns are known. 

And one example of the 1910 Proof Sovereign is privately held, formerly owned by Ross Pratley and Barrie Winsor, both leading gold coin specialists. (This coin)

The proofs of Edward VII are characterised by extreme scarcity. Proofs were only struck in two years and of each, only one example is known.

The proofs of Edward VII are further characterised by extreme beauty.

The Melbourne Mint reached its zenith in proof gold coining during the era of Edward VII, the depth of design of both the 1902 and 1910 Proof Sovereigns is magnificent, sculpted, three dimensional. The fields are like golden mirrors.

The Holey Dollar is the nation’s first coin, minted in 1813 by order of Governor Lachlan Macquarie. As Macquarie had no access to metal blanks to create his currency, he improvised and acquired 40,000 Spanish Silver Dollars as a substitute. 

To make his new coinage unique to the colony, he employed emancipated convict William Henshall to cut a hole in each Spanish dollar. Each holed dollar was then over-stamped on both sides around the edge of the hole. On one side, the date 1813 and the issuing authority of New South Wales. And the other, the value of Five Shillings.

If you look at the entire process, it is the application of the counter stamps that is the point at which the 1813 Holey Dollar is created. Prior to that, it was just a Spanish dollar with a hole in it!

The 40,000 Spanish Silver Dollars came with different dates and different design details that reflected the reigning Spanish monarch. And they were sourced from various mints around the world, each mint with a different identifying mark. As the Spanish Dollar was an internationally traded coin, most of them came to Macquarie well used. (We know that because the majority of Holey Dollars are well worn.)

As the Holey Dollar was crafted from a Spanish Silver Dollar (and not a metal blank), assessing its value has to give consideration to the original dollar. Its quality. And its rarity. Consideration must also be given to the extent of circulation once the dollar was converted to an 1813 Holey Dollar.

Valuing a Holey Dollar is therefore a multi-faceted process that takes into account seven elements. The date, the monarch and the legend of the original silver dollar. The mint at which the dollar was issued. The quality of that dollar. Now we turn to the counter stamps applied by Henshall. Are they random or precise? And are they worn?

The brief summary above is intended to explain how and why vast price differences can occur with Holey Dollars. Why one can be priced at $35,000 and the other at $425,000.

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. 

This offer is all about seizing the opportunity and matching a Holey Dollar to suit your budget. 

The first production run of Adelaide Pounds was short and eventful.  A cracking of the reverse die during the striking of the first fifty coins halted production. 

The impaired die, featuring a beaded inner circle, was replaced and production resumed, staff electing to use a die with a different design to that used in the first run. The second die featured a scalloped inner border. The move to use differently designed dies was profound for it clearly differentiates those coins struck in the first and second run.

In the second production run, pressure was relaxed on the edges to lengthen the die usage and re-focused on the central area of the design. The reduction in pressure on the edges meant that the edge perfection achieved in the first run of coins was simply not achievable. Most Adelaide Pounds from the second run therefore show some form of weakness in the edges, particularly  in the Government Assay Office area. Occasionally the weakness is exhibited all the way round. Due to the re-focus of pressure away from the edges and to the centre of the coin, the crown design is almost always well executed with flattened areas simply due to wear.

The official recorded mintage of the nation’s first gold coin is 24,648, a relatively small number given the amount of gold deposited at the Assay Office. Very few out of the mintage actually circulated, with many of them ending up in the melting pot. Assaying of the one pound samples sent to London determined that the intrinsic value of the gold contained in each piece exceeded its nominal value. The coin therefore became the target of profiteers and were exported to London and melted down.

The Adelaide Gold One Pound, struck in the first production run, is known as the Type I Adelaide Pound and fewer than forty examples survive from the first production run in varying degrees of quality.

The Adelaide Gold One Pound, struck in the second production run, is known as the Type II Adelaide Pound. It is an iconic gold coin with perhaps two hundred and fifty available to collectors.

The clear advantage of the Type II over the Type I is its affordability. 

The 1852 Government Assay Office Adelaide Gold One Pound Type II, struck with the scalloped inner circle reverse die, edge with wide milling

Good Extremely Fine with lustrous surfaces on both obverse and reverse

Price: $30,000

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 are well defined. 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 Adelaide Pound is available now.

This Proof Canberra Florin is worth owning!

Using the naked eye, move the coin through the light, allowing it to reflect off the fields. Both obverse and reverse fields are brilliant, highly reflective. It is as though you are looking at a mirror.

• The emerald-green toning is magnificent!

• The edges are intact and solid.

• Under a magnifying glass we note, the striations, between the 'ONE' in the legend and the oval containing the date 1927. They are strong. 

• Vertical striations on the obverse are similarly distinct and strong.

• Heavy striations equates to well brushed dies. Well brushed dies equates to a razor sharp, three dimensional coin design. And the three parliamentary steps are present!

• The fields are impressive. Amazing for a coin struck nearly a century ago. Our comment here is that the coin's former owners have always respected and cherished its quality for its state of preservation is remarkable.

1927 Proof Canberra Florin minted for one of the most significant events in Australia’s journey to nationhood, the opening of the first Parliamentary buildings in the national capital, Canberra.

Price: $25,000

This 1927 Proof Canberra Florin is distinguished by a strong strike, brilliant mirror fields and magnificent emerald-green toning. Ex Barrie Winsor February 2000 when it was sold to Marcus Plunkett to form part of the Treasures Collection.

The coin is extraordinary and is one of the few Canberra florins available today that is offered with a detailed provenance.

Exhibited at the Melbourne Mint, Williams Street Melbourne,  29 November 2011 in the launch of the Treasures Collection.

There are many reasons why collectors love the 1930 Penny and one of the prime reasons is its financial reliability.

It is a solid coin. And this genuinely counts. In fact, we would go one step further and say that over the long term the 1930 Penny has probably been one of our most consistent and trustworthy numismatic performers.

The second reason is that the 1930 Penny is as Australian as you can get. Struck during the Great Depression, the 1930 Penny is the nation’s glamour coin and is unrivalled for popularity, enjoying a constant stream of demand unmatched by any other numismatic rarity.

The third reason is that the 1930 Penny is sought after at all quality levels and all dollar levels. It is in many respects an industry phenomenon, for in a market that is quality focused the 1930 Penny is keenly sought irrespective of its quality ranking. And growth over the mid to long term has been significant across all quality levels. Well circulated (Fine) 1930 Pennies were selling for £50 in the 1950s. A decade later, by decimal changeover, the coins were fetching £255 ($510). By 1988, Australia's Bicentenary, a Fine 1930 Penny had reached $6000. The turn of the century saw 1930 Penny prices move to a minimum of $13,000. Twenty years later prices have more than doubled. And with a 100th anniversary just five years away, the push to acquire Australia’s favourite Penny is really on.

Commonwealth of Australia 1930 Penny, a superb example of Australia's most sought after copper rarity with an almost full central diamond and six plump pearls.

Nearly Very Fine / Very Fine 

$40,000

Strong upper and lower scrolls, prominent '1930' date, even chestnut toning, inner beading between 4 and 6 o'çlock strong. The coin stands up to scrutiny under the glass revealing an almost full central diamond and six clear and plump pearls.

The past fifty-plus years in the business has taught us that you do not see 1930 Pennies like this every day. Or every month. Or every year for that matter!

1883 Proof Sovereign and 1883 Proof Half Sovereign struck as Coins of Record at the Sydney Mint

Sydney Mint proofs are inordinately rare and this pair unique.

Available in November.

Reservations and/or enquiries welcome.  

The 1920 florins, showing the star above the date, were prepared as a result of a sudden rise in the price of silver that caused Great Britain and many other countries to reassess the silver content of their respective currencies.

Britain abandoned around 800 years of tradition when it reduced the finesse of its Sterling silver (92.5% pure) coins to an alloy of 50%. Canada also moved from the 92.5% standard down to 80% while British West Africa dropped silver issues completely in 1920 in favour of nickel and nickel brass coins.

Australia considered a similar move but in a gesture which cynical taxpayers of today would find very refreshing, the government wanted the public to be completely aware that the new coins would contain less silver.

According to the former numismatic curator of the Museum of Victoria, John Sharples, the normal order for 1920 dies for the silver coins had been placed in July 1919. At that time the intrinsic worth of the silver was less than the face value of the respective denominations and so no special instructions were issued in respect to the dies being prepared by the Royal Mint in London.

However by March 1920 the situation had changed drastically. According to John it was decided to prepare new dies which featured smaller date figures to differentiate the debased coins from the earlier issues.

Judging from correspondence that came back from London, it would appear that the mint had already started work on the dies or was too busy with other projects. A suggestion came back that a star above the date would not only be more noticeable but could be produced more easily and quickly than reworking the date. 

This change was accepted by Melbourne and working dies for 1920 and punches for 1921 were ordered with the star. By August 1920, the Melbourne Mint had received thirty pairs of working dies for the florin and shilling denomination.

By the time everything was in place the silver crisis had passed. The silver price dropped, and neither the reduction or a circulation version of the 1920 florin eventuated.

No 1920 dated florins were issued for circulation. Three other denominations were struck for circulation in 1920, the shilling, sixpence and threepence. None carried the star. On some of the 1920 shillings (and even the sixpences) a small indentation above the date can be seen in high-grade coins, where the star has been removed on the die.

Strangely enough, the 1921 shilling still carried the star, although the silver crisis had long passed. 

The excessively rare Melbourne Mint 1920 Star Florin, FDC

Ex Morton & Eden London 2007

Price: $95,000

Sale number 24, conducted by Spink Auctions (Australia) in March 1988 was one of the company's most important auctions; a bicentennial celebration of all that was great in the Australian rare coin industry.

The breadth and depth of excessively rare, high quality coins was compelling and overwhelming and was an event that is unlikely ever to be repeated. The auction made history!

Out of the glittering array of esteemed rarities, a 1920 Star Florin was chosen to appear on the front cover of the catalogue.

This is perhaps the simplest and easiest way of conveying the importance of the 1920 Star Florin to the industry.

The coin is Australia's greatest florin rarity - the rarest florin struck for circulation. One of only seven struck at the Melbourne Mint, three of which are held by private collectors, and this example with superb detail and fabulous satin surfaces.

If further accolades are required. The Numismatic Association of Australia (NAA) issued their inaugural journal in July 1985, a publication that continues to this very day. The first edition featured the 1920 Star Florin on the front cover!

The buyer that pursues a top quality Dump will find the task extremely challenging. It can be years before a premium quality example comes onto the market and decades before the very best becomes available. And that statement is said in the knowledge that there are perhaps 800 Dumps, across all quality levels, available to private collectors.

The Dump with a value of fifteen pence circulated widely in the colony, the extreme wear on most Dumps evidence that they saw considerable use. The Holey Dollar being a higher valued piece, at five shillings, had a narrower band of circulation.

So, while the Dump may seem the diminutive partner of the Holey Dollar, the reality is top quality Dumps have authority. They are extremely rare, in fact far rarer than their holed counterpart in the same quality level. Official Bank of New South Wales records show that in 1820 the bank held 16,680 Holey Dollars and only 5900 Dumps. Considering that 39,910 of each were released into circulation, the figures reflect the greater circulation of the smaller denomination Dump.

Top quality Dumps are extremely rare and highly valued.

Documentation as to the method of manufacture of the Holey Dollar and Dump has never been found. It is however safe to assume that whatever machinery was employed, it was hand operated as the first steam engine did not become operational in the colony until 1815.

Likely production options were the screw press, drop hammer or hand-held punch with the drop hammer method onto a pre-heated plug generally regarded as the most likely.

There is no doubt that heat was involved in the creation of the Dump. When the disc fell out of the centre of the Spanish Dollar, it still bore the original dollar design of a four quadrant shield, housing a lion and castle in each quadrant. And the shield's cross-bars. High temperatures obliterated the original Spanish Dollar design from most examples.

Those Dumps that retain the original dollar design elements are highly prized.

The high temperatures also caused an expansion of the metal disc that fell out of the dollar. The very reason why the Dump is always larger than the hole in the Holey Dollar.

The haphazard, obliquely grooved edge milling found on the dumps indicates that a 'fiddle method' was the final step in the production process whereby a roll of Dumps was rotated under pressure against a grooved cylinder.

While no one knows the method of manufacture, history records that convicted forger and emancipist, William Henshall, was hired to create the nation's first currency, effectively our first Mint Master. He declared his involvement in the creation of the Dump - and the Holey Dollar - by inserting his initial, an 'H' for Henshall, on some - but not all - of the reverse dies of the Dump. And some - but not all - of the Holey Dollar counter stamp dies. 

Amazing to think that a convicted forger created the first 'mint mark' on Australia's first coinage! 

This is a classic example of the 1813 Dump.

1. The 1813 Dump circulated widely in the colony, the extreme wear on most Dumps evidence of its extensive use. The average quality Dump is graded at Fine to Good Fine, with this coin at least four grades higher at Nearly Extremely Fine / Extremely Fine. (See chart below)

2. Struck with the A/1 dies, the crown is classically well-centred and well struck, the design definition strong.

3. William Henshall inserted an 'H' into some (but not all) of the dies used during its striking. The 'H' is strong and three dimensional.

4. The denticles around the edge of the coin are evident, almost half way around. Complete denticles, all the way round, is a phenomenon that is rarely seen on the 1813 Dump. 

5. The oblique milling around the edge is fully evident. (The edge milling was used as deterrent against clipping whereby the unscrupulous shaved off slivers of silver, reducing the silver content of the Dump. And making a small profit on the side.)

6. While the Holey Dollar clearly shows that it is one coin struck from another, in a less obvious way so too can the Dump. The design detail of the original Spanish Dollar from which this Dump was created is evident on the obverse. We refer to it as the under-type and it is not always present. Its existence re-affirms the origins of the Dump and is highly prized.

7. This Dump shows a 'dot' above the '3' in the date '1813'. This is almost certainly due to a pit in the die and only occurs in those coins struck with the type A/1 dies. And even then it is identified in very few type A/1 examples.

1813 Dump struck from A/1 dies,  Nearly Extremely Fine / Extremely Fine and rare in this quality

When you look at this 1813 Dump in your hand, the fields are like glass and very reflective. The design details are crisp and clearly visible to the naked eye.

And that’s a sign of a high-quality coin.

This is a superior quality example of the nation’s first coin, technically ranked in the top five per cent.

Over and above its quality ranking this coin has attributes that are highly prized, traits that you simply don't see in every Dump.

For a start there is the 'H’ for Henshall on the reverse, the mark left by the nation’s first mint master that guaranteed his fame. There also is evidence of the original Spanish Dollar design from which it was created on the obverse. Intact edge milling, the minting authority's ploy to prevent clipping of slivers of silver from the edges. And there is evidence of the elusive dot above the ‘3’ in the date 1813. 

When you look at a truly great circulation strike, such as the Nobleman One Pound, you can’t fail to be engaged by its state. The coin has presence and is imposing. The edges are strong. As a picture frame does to a canvass, a coin's edges enhance the visual impact by drawing the viewer's eye to the overall design. The edges also provide a sense of completion. A truly great circulation strike will also have super-fine detail and a three-dimensional design. Original mint bloom and proof-like fields.  

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 Nobleman One Pound has never circulated and retains its mint-state condition with much original bloom.

The Nobleman One Pound is the finest example of the nation's first gold coin and was struck in the very first production run of Adelaide Pounds. And the strike, for a coin that was minted in the first run that history records was challenged with interruptions, is quite extraordinary.  

The Nobleman One Pound features fine milling, the reverse crack .1mm wide. This tells us that the coin was produced not just in the first production run but it must have been struck in the first handful, for as the process continued, the crack became broader, up to .2mm in width. 

The Nobleman One Pound is the coin for the buyer aspiring to the best. It will be 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 headlines, both in Australia and in Britain since 1922.

No other Adelaide Pound can match this coin for its quality, its fame. And its level of public recognition.

How do you attempt to explain the brilliant state of the Nobleman One Pound? You simply can't. And that is the miracle of numismatics. 

The colony of South Australia passed the Bullion Act in January 1852. The Act authorised the opening of a Government Assay Office in Adelaide to produce gold ingots that could be exchanged for banknotes at the rate of £3 11/- per ounce. Production of ingots began in February 1852. 

Fielding numerous complaints about the ingots and their efficacy in solving the colony's financial crisis, the Act was amended in November of the same year to allow production of a gold coin, the Government Assay Office Adelaide One Pound. It was Australia's first gold coin.

The transition to producing a coin presented challenges for assaying staff that, while skilled in metal work, had minimal coining skills.

Finding the correct pressure balance on the dies to ensure that the design details and inscriptions were transferred accurately to both sides of the coin while at the same time producing strong edges was a major challenge that staff struggled to achieve. The milling also became an issue and was varied during the process, the belief that the fine milling may have contributed to some of their problems. 

Excess pressure applied to the edges cracked the reverse die resulting in an interruption to production of the Adelaide Pound very early on in the process.

Less than fifty coins were believed struck before the crack was discovered, this coin one of them.

As the pressure was initially exerted on the edges, most Adelaide Pounds from the first run have strong edges. The downside of this pressure focus is that Adelaide Pounds from the first run show weakness in the crown.

The Nobleman One Pound has strength in the edges and a strength in the crown unseen in other examples.

Both fleur de lis are complete and three-dimensional, the pleats in the cloth are well formed. The horizontal line in the cross on the orb at the top of the crown is almost intact just tapering off on the right hand side. We also detect ermine flecks in the trim at the base of the crown. Flip the coin over and the lettering declaring its value in the central area of the design is consistently strong. 

Exhibited National Museum of Australia 11 March to 24 June 2001.

Canberra's National Museum of Australia opened in 2001 as the centrepiece of the Centenary of Federation celebrations. The museum's first Exhibition, 'Gold and Civilisation', featured eight pieces from the Quartermaster Collection. The Nobleman One Pound was one of the eight and was photographed in the souvenir book.

Exhibited Museum of Victoria 19 July to 21 October 2001.

As part of the Centenary of Federation celebrations, the eight coins from the National Museum of Australia were displayed at the Museum of Victoria, Melbourne.

Exhibited Royal Australian Mint Canberra 22 February to 31 August 2005.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Sydney Mint, the entire Quartermaster Collection was exhibited at the Royal Australian Mint Canberra, the Nobleman One Pound one of the highlights.

The Nobleman Gold One Pound Type 1a

The Nobleman Gold One Pound Type 1a

Ironically, the discovery of gold in the eastern states almost sent the colony of South Australia broke as the mass movement of population from the cities to the Victorian gold fields drained the banks of coins and brought business almost to a standstill.

As the two main pillars of national activity, labour and capital, literally walked out, prices plummeted, property plunged, mining scrip nosedived. Adelaide took on the air of a ghost town, with row after row of houses untenanted. Public works ceased, Government labourers retrenched to make them available to the private sector. So much coin was withdrawn from the banks by citizens heading for the fields that the colony's financial institutions faced closure, having insufficient coinage to meet their legally binding gold reserves that backed their banknote issues. 

And whilst it may be perceived that the economy would bounce back when the diggers returned to their home state with their findings, it only exacerbated the problem. The gold boom created an excess of wealth, one that could not be put into circulation. The problem, which had plagued each colony since the early days of settlement still existed: a lack of hard currency to stimulate and underpin commerce.

The Governor of South Australia devised a two-part solution to the crisis. The first part was to ensure a ready supply of gold. Whereas the diggers were receiving 60/- per ounce in Melbourne, the South Australian Government guaranteed to pay an over-the-top price of 71/- per ounce. And went a step further by providing armed escorts to bring back the gold from the Victorian diggings. 

The second part of the solution was the establishment of an Assay Office to convert gold into a useful form, the Legislative Council seeking to deflect Royal disapproval by striking gold ingots rather than sovereigns.

The ingots were not declared legal tender but were intended to form a 'currency' that would back the banknote issues of the banks as if they were gold coin at the rate of £3 11s per ounce. And be used by the banks to increase their note circulation based on the amount of assayed gold deposited.

It was a daring and contentious move. Under the Currency Act the colonies were prevented from being involved in anything affecting their currency "unless urgent necessity exists". The South Australia Government used the 'urgency' loophole in the Currency Act and passed legislation, 'The Bullion Act of 1852', that legitimised the striking of ingots and their backing of banknote issues.

It drew condemnation from the eastern states. Melbourne’s Argus condemned the Act as dangerous, radically unsound and interfering with the natural laws of commerce. But these protests were motivated by self-interest, as South Australia posed a real threat to the Victorian economy by re-directing capital and labour away from the Victorian gold fields.

The Bullion Act No 1 of 1852 has a record unique in Australian history. A special session of Parliament was convened to consider it. Parliament met at noon on the 28 January 1852. The Bill was read and promptly passed three readings and was then forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor and immediately received his assent. It was one of the quickest pieces of legislation on record, with the whole proceedings taking less than two hours.

Thirteen days after the passing of the Act, on 10 February 1852, the Government Assay office was opened. The first ingots appeared on 4 March 1852 and by the end of August 1852, over £1 million worth of gold had been received at the assay office.

The Act had its critics.

Two dates are integral to the Melbourne Mint's history and the nation’s numismatic heritage. The first is its year of opening, '1872'. 

The second is '1916', when the Melbourne Mint expanded its gold coining repertoire and commenced striking silver coins for the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia.

The mint did not produce any presentation pieces to celebrate its opening in 1872, a missed opportunity for today's collectors.

That numismatic shortcoming was addressed in 1916 when the Deputy Master of the Melbourne Mint authorised the production of sixty cased Presentation Sets, a portion earmarked to sell to collectors with a 2/-3d premium over face value. Others were gifted to dignitaries.

Natural attrition has taken its toll on the original mintage and only seven cased presentation sets have been observed at auction over the last half-century.

The Melbourne Mint’s iconic 1916 cased specimen set stands out as the first Australian made presentation for collectors of the Commonwealth's coinage. There are a few things to note about the 1916 cased specimen set.

First up the royal-blue case. The case is a stamp of authority indicating that the coins are presented today as they were originally intended more than a century ago. The integrity of the set is maintained by the case. Respected numismatist and author, Dr Vince Verheyen's take on the royal-blue case supports our view that it is an integral element of the presentation. “It cannot be over-emphasised that the set must be supplied with its original case.”

The second is that the coins tone. The toning to all the coins, again gives authenticity to the set. And given the different mirror and matte finishes of the four coins,  collectors should not expect the toning to be identical, a point again emphasised by Verheyen. He also added ... "I would be suspicious of any bright white specimens given their age.”

The third point to note is storage for over the years we have been asked if the coins should be stored in the case? The coins will be housed in archival quality (museum quality) coin holders and presented in a quality velvet lined tray, thereby preserving their investment value. The royal blue velvet case will be separate to the tray.

Each coin in this 1916 Presentation Set was assessed by Coinworks, and Dr Vince Verheyen as part of his research into the article on the 1916 cased Specimen Set. (See below)

We note the similarities in toning between this set and that held in the Melbourne Mint Museum.

1916 Specimen Florin -

A stunning coin with superb colours. The obverse a gold / green. The reverse with blue on the periphery and purple on the interior. The florin is superbly struck and has fabulous detail in all the design elements with a lovely smooth matte surface on both obverse and reverse. A highly reflective coin in the light. Striations are noted on the reverse.

1916 Specimen Shilling

That so much can be written on a one shilling coin reflects the meticulous nature of the strike and the beautiful aging process that it has enjoyed. This coin is intriguing in the light. It is superbly struck with mirror surfaces between 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock in the shield area and below 'Advance Australia'. (This phenomenen was noted by Vince Verheyen in his study of the 1916 Specimen Sets.) The reverse reveals multiple striations (raised parallel lines) across the fields; with those between the scroll and date and behind the emu strongly evident. Precise edge denticles, a high rim and beautiful antique toning on both obverse and reverse characterises this shilling.

1916 Specimen Sixpence

While the florin in a 1916 Set receives most of the accolades (because of its size), the sixpence in this set almost steals the show. It is glorious. Proof-like with beautifully mirrored fields. Very well struck, the denticles on the reverse rim are unusually strong. And magnificent colours. Heavy striations on both obverse and reverse are noted. Beautifully mirrored fields on the obverse with microscopic striations confirming careful preparation of the dies.

1916 Specimen Threepence 

A full brilliant mirror finish with handsome blue and pink toning. The coin is extremely well struck, noticeable in the strength of strike in the star, shield and scroll. Strong striations confirm careful preparation of the dies at the Melbourne Mint.

Technical details Kangaroo Office Gold Sixpence

Reverse: A broad engine-turned rim encircles a large figure ‘6’ in the centre decoratively engraved and the words SIX PENCE incused in the rim.

Obverse: A broad raised engine-turned rim encircles a superb portrait of Queen Victoria wearing a jewelled crown, thought to be executed by William Taylor in 1860, and the words VICTORIA and AUSTRALIA incused in the rim.

(An engine-turned rim refers to a decorative pattern created by a machine-operated process whereby fine, closely spaced, criss-crossing lines are engraved into a surface. The result is a visually appealing, textured surface that adds a touch of elegance and sophistication.) 

Diameter: 18.57 mm

Weight: 4.00 grams

Planchet: Thin

Edges: Plain

The offering in Zurich of an 1853 Gold Kangaroo Office 1oz piece from the famous 'Traveller Collection' is receiving global attention. And the attention is as much about the coin as it is about the pre-sale estimate of $475,000 AUD. (We believe it is the only known example held in private hands.)

Our offering of the Gold Kangaroo Office Shilling early in July also received local and international enquiries and is now sold, to a Victorian collector.  

The Gold Kangaroo Office coins are iconic and attract strong buyer interest across the globe.

And it has been that way for more than a century. We also note the coins have always been associated with great collectors.  

The Gold Kangaroo Office coins were first recorded at auction in 1892 in the sale of the Hyman Montagu Collection held by Sothebys London. And sighted again in 1904 in the sale of the John G Murdoch Collection.

More recently in Australia in 1989 at Spink Auctions and in 2009 at the now famous Quartermaster Auction. (The sporadic offerings confirm their overwhelming scarcity.)

The Melbourne Mint continued to strike proof issues until it ceased minting operations in 1964. But the issues were struck sporadically, in only the years 1927, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1953.

Two of the issues (1934 and 1935) were the result of a collaboration between the Melbourne Mint and the private sector: the mint tentative at striking proofs on a commercial basis.

The Melbourne Mint's issues, especially struck for collectors,  are extremely scarce and they are celebrated as critical points in Australia's numismatic history.

The chart below indicates the collector issues that were struck between 1916 and 1953 and the mintage. The mintage figures have been determined from the mint's historical records including letters and sales ledgers and are shown in brackets. 

    •   1916 Specimen Set ( 60 )

    •   1927 Proof Canberra Florin ( 400 )

    •   1934 Proof Set  ( 50 )

    •   1935 Proof Pair  ( 125 )

    •   1937 Proof Crown  ( 100 )

    •   1938 Proof Set ( 68 )

    •   1938 Proof Crown  ( 52 )

    •   1939 Proof Halfpenny  ( 40 )

    •   1953 Specimen Set  ( 12 )

Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey was elected to federal parliament for the United Australia Party in 1931 and served as treasurer from 1935 to 1939. The notion of a crown sized coin was pushed by Casey and was - and still is - referred to as ‘Casey’s Cartwheel’.

As a collectible, the Proof 1937 Crown was an instant success, the mintage of one hundred a complete sell-out. Whereas the coin's bulk was a hindrance when it was used as currency, the size worked to the mint's advantage in the creation of a proof coin, the majestic design offset by an expanse of brilliant silver mirror fields.

The crown design on the reverse, designed by George Kruger Gray, is imposing offset by brilliant fields. The obverse has a beautiful expanse of fields to offset the portrait of George VI.

Natural attrition has taken it toll on the original mintage of Proof 1937 Crowns with coins being mishandled or pieces simply lost into circulation. We would be lucky to sight one quality example on the market annually.

This coin is a superb example from the original mintage of one hundred. We note heavy striations in the fields, reflecting careful die preparation.

When it comes to collecting vintage gold coins, collectors have two distinct options.

Collectors can acquire coins that were struck for circulation. Circulating coins were mass produced, hurled down a shute and into a barrel to be delivered to the banks, the mintages determined by Government and generally in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. 

Collectors can also collect coins that were struck as Coins of Record. Using standards and techniques far beyond that required for circulating currency, Coins of Record were minted to a proof or specimen finish and because the process was time-intensive, mintages were generally less than ten.

Each option, circulating currency or Coins of Record, presents the buyer with a vastly different sized pool of examples from which to choose. And very different challenges for procurement. 

Average circulating gold sovereigns struck in years that have no special importance are generally readily available. 

Once a buyer sets parameters on the quality and the dates being sought, the pool of specimens narrows and it is true that acquiring a key date gold coin that was struck for circulation, particularly one in premium quality, can be a journey in time that involves years.

The 1855 Sovereign is a key-date coin, the first year of operation of the nation's first mint and the mintage a minuscule 502,000 coins. And the quality of this sovereign is superb. 

Would you sight one 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign at this quality level on the market annually? Perhaps. More than one? We very much doubt it.

Every circulating coin has a grading level at which serious rarity kicks in.

That is the point at which the balance between acquiring a coin as a collectible - and as an investment - shifts more towards the latter.

The pie chart shown here clearly shows that well circulated examples of the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign (in a quality range of Poor to Good Very Fine) are reasonably readily available.

While About Extremely Fine to Extremely Fine 1855 Sovereigns have reduced availability, the chart clearly shows that it is the coins graded between Good Extremely Fine and Choice Uncirculated that are exceptionally scarce.

1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign Nearly Uncirculated / Uncirculated  

Price: $40,000

Australia celebrates the 1813 Holey Dollar and 1813 Dump. And the 1852 Adelaide Pound. Each coin was the first of its kind. A definite one-off, struck in one year only as an interim measure to address a currency crisis. And the coins fulfilled their purpose and are lauded for their history and the ingenuity of their creation. 

The sovereign also was the first of its kind: the nation’s first official coinage issued by the nation’s first official mint. But it was not a one-off and became the mainstay of commerce. Regulated by currency laws the sovereign was introduced for the long term and became a unit of exchange up until 1931 when Australia struck its last gold sovereign.

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.

In 1851, the Sydney Morning Herald published an editorial championing the establishment of a branch of the Royal Mint in Sydney to buy gold at full price and strike it into sovereigns.

The plan for a branch of the Royal Mint received great support from the diggers. Solid opposition came from the banks and a prominent group of private individuals both of whom had become major buyers of gold on the fields at prices discounted well below the full London price. Profits were at stake! Both factions had earlier joined forces to quash a proposal for a Sydney Assay Office that would have also impacted negatively on their commercial interests.

While it is true that New South Wales had in 1851 formally petitioned the home office in London for a branch of the Royal Mint, the decision had already been made in the British Parliament to give the colonies greater autonomy and establish a branch mint to allow them to strike coins of the realm, the sovereign.  

The Sydney Mint would strike sovereigns and half sovereigns to exactly the weight and fineness levels at the Royal Mint but they would have their own design. This was to protect the international reputation of the imperial gold coins in the event that Sydney was unable to meet the exacting standards demanded of the coin.

On the 19 August 1853 Queen Victoria gave formal approval to establish Australia’s very first mint at or near Sydney in New South Wales. In the same year, the Royal Mint London prepared designs of Australia’s first gold coinage and manufactured the dies.

The sovereign and half sovereign obverse design was a filleted bust of Victoria, only slightly different to that used on British sovereigns. The obverse quickly fell out of favour and James Wyon was ordered to engrave a new obverse that would be uniquely Australian to easily distinguish the colonial sovereigns from their British counterparts. To this end, a new portrait was introduced in 1857 that featured Queen Victoria with a banksia wreath in her hair instead of the band.

The reverse design was based loosely around contemporary reverse designs of the British sixpence and shilling. Its strong point of difference to the British sovereigns was the inclusion of the words 'Australia' and 'Sydney Mint'.

The use of the word Australia, a fascination with historians. At the time the nation was operating as separate colonies. Australia did not operate under a single Government until Federation in 1901.

The first Deputy Master of the Sydney Mint was Captain Edward Wolstenholme Ward, a trained member of the Royal Engineers. (Photo shown at top.)

Ward arrived in the colony in October 1854 on the ship Calcutta, along with other members of the Royal Engineers, a sergeant, three corporals and twelve privates. The group was deposited on Circular Quay with the bales and boxes of Sydney's new mint, along with the dies.

The Sydney Mint was established in a wing of the 'Rum Hospital' in Macquarie Street, Sydney. The mint began receiving gold on 14 May 1855 and issued its first gold sovereign soon after on June 23.

In their infancy the Sydney Mint sovereigns and half sovereigns were legal tender only in the colony of New South Wales.

In January 1856, the British tested the quality of the colonial gold coins and the results showed that they had a higher intrinsic value than their British counterparts, primarily due to their 8.33% silver content. Once these facts became known, profiteers began melting them down.

The colonial gold coins also became legal tender in Tasmania and Western Australia in 1856. South Australia and Victoria were reticent to enshrine the Sydney Mint as Australia's official mint as each colony had independently requested their own and were miffed at missing out.

By 1857, the legal tender scope was widened to include all Australian colonies and Mauritius, Ceylon and Hong Kong. In 1868 the Sydney Mint Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns became legal tender throughout the British Empire.

The design of the Sydney Mint Sovereign lasted until 1870 and was the only time the word Australia appeared on our gold sovereigns. From 1871, Australia's sovereigns took on a traditional British design.

Australia’s Coins of Record are admired and respected worldwide. As with fine art and fine jewellery, they have prestige value.

Three branches of the Royal Mint London operated in Australia. The Sydney Mint opening in 1855, the Melbourne Mint in 1872 and the Perth Mint in 1899, each mint sporadically producing Coins of Record of its sovereigns and half sovereigns.

There are two fundamental differences between the Coins of Record of the Perth Mint and those of Melbourne and Sydney. The Perth Mint Coins of Record have a higher profile, because the mint is still operating. And they are far rarer.

The Sydney Mint closed in 1926, the Melbourne Mint in 1964, their greatest historical pieces are, in many respects, confined to history.

For the Perth Mint, its story is on-going. Its collecting audience is expanding. 

The Perth Mint’s commercial profile creates an environment whereby its earlier gold sovereign and half sovereign issues can be enabled and brought to life.

As the name 'Macquarie' lives on through the Macquarie Bank, so too history lives on for the Perth Mint through its current coining operations.

Every time the Perth Mint opens its doors to welcome visitors, releases a new proof coin or celebrates an anniversary of its minting operations (as it did on 2024), we are reminded of a heritage that began in 1899. And we are further reminded of a tradition of continual coining excellence that began with its Coins of Record. 

1931 Perth Mint Proof Sovereign, a proof striking of the last sovereign struck at the Perth Mint.

Price: $195,000

John Agnew Collection circa 1931 • Agnew Family Collection sold to Spink & Son privately circa 1994 • Bentley Collection sold by Baldwins 27 September 2012 (lot 878)

That a coin of such power and influence in the Australian gold coin market was originally owned by John Agnew somehow seems just right for he too was powerful and influential.

A man of vision and remarkable knowledge of gold mining, Agnew was credited with making a major contribution to revitalise the Western Australian gold mining sector in the 1920s and 1930s and was Director of Consolidated Goldfields when he was gifted this coin. 

A superb mint state and of the highest rarity, ex Bentley Collection 2012 (lot 878), this coin is unique for quality, the finest of two available to collectors, the other example impaired through mishandling.

In the early days of the Australian Gold Rush, gold was not a standard of value as it was elsewhere in the world. Despite the international gold standard, its purchase value was not fixed but was subject to supply and demand.

The potential of buying gold at a low price was exploited by the banks, buying gold on the fields at rates far below that offered in the towns. 

British entrepreneur William Taylor planned to establish a private mint in Melbourne, named the Kangaroo Office. And to challenge the bank's monopoly on the fields. Taylor's plan was that gold, bought at low prices, would be converted into pieces of a fixed weight, a quarter ounce, half ounce, one ounce and two ounce and released into circulation at £1, £2, £4 and £8. 

Taylor's first gold issue was dated 1853, the use of a weight value rather than a legal tender value a clever ploy so as not to draw the ire of the colonial Government by striking what was perceived to be 'currency'. Taylor became more venturesome and later, circa 1855, he produced dies for a shilling and sixpence striking them in gold, silver and various other metals.

The sale of the Quartermaster Collection in 2009 was the largest ever offering of Kangaroo Office Patterns, the world over. By lots. And by dollars. Seventeen pieces in total, five produced from gold, six struck in copper and six from silver.

Up until the Quartermaster Auction, the maximum number of gold pieces offered at any one time at an Australian auction had been two.

The Quartermaster Collection held two quarter ounce gold pieces. One gold shilling piece with a grained edge, a gold shilling with a plain edge. And one plain edge sixpence piece. (The milled edge are believed to have been struck circa 1855, the plain edge circa 1860.) 

The standout lot of the five gold pieces on offer at the Quartermaster Auction was this Gold Shilling, selling for $305,000, well above its estimate of $250,000. (The plain edge shilling and sixpence also sold well). The quarter ounce pieces, which were expected to shine, sold. But at subdued levels, slightly below their pre-sale estimate, the market showing their overwhelming preference for the 'currency' pieces, the shillings and the sixpence. 

The Gold Kangaroo Patterns are at the top of their class and this gold shilling is the best in its category. Struck with a milled 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. 

Technical details Kangaroo Office Gold Shilling

Obverse: A broad raised engine-turned rim encircles a superb portrait of Queen Victoria wearing a jewelled crown, thought to be executed by William Taylor in 1855, and the words VICTORIA and AUSTRALIA incused in the rim.

Reverse: A broad engine-turned rim encircles a large figure ‘1’ in the centre decoratively engraved and the words ONE SHILLING incused in the rim.

Diameter: 22mm

Weight: 8.19 grams

(An engine-turned rim refers to a decorative pattern created by a machine-operated process whereby fine, closely spaced, criss-crossing lines are engraved into a surface. The result is a visually appealing, textured surface that adds a touch of elegance and sophistication.) 

This pair of Kangaroo Office Shilling and Sixpence was last sold in 2002. And it is true, that over the last two decades we have made several attempts, to lure these coins back onto the market, with no success.  The owner simply wouldn't part with them, well aware that the quality made them irreplaceable. 

A change of circumstances now sees them offered for sale. They are quality-wise incomparable. The Kangaroo Patterns are exceedingly scarce and become available on the market perhaps once every five years. But a matched pair, comprised of coins of this calibre, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Technical details of the Kangaroo Office Shilling

Obverse:
Displays a broad raised engine-turned rim encircling a superb portrait of Queen Victoria wearing a jewelled crown, thought to be executed by William Taylor in 1855, and the words VICTORIA and AUSTRALIA incused in the rim.

Reverse:
Displays a broad engine-turned rim encircling a large figure ‘1’ in the centre decoratively engraved and the words ONE SHILLING incused in the rim.
 

An engine-turned rim refers to a decorative pattern created by a machine-operated process whereby fine, closely spaced, criss-crossing lines are engraved into a surface. The result is a visually appealing, textured surface that adds a touch of elegance and sophistication. 

Technical details of the Kangaroo Office Sixpence

Obverse:
Displays a broad raised engine-turned rim encircling a superb portrait of Queen Victoria wearing a jewelled crown, thought to be executed by William Taylor in 1855, and the words VICTORIA and AUSTRALIA embedded in the rim.

Reverse:
Displays a broad engine-turned rim encircling a large figure ‘6’ in the centre decoratively engraved and the words  SIX PENCE incused in the rim.

The industry acknowledges that there are about one thousand surviving examples of the 1813 Dump, with eight hundred available to collectors, the balance held in museums and public institutions.

Within that collector pool, the Dump appears in four distinctly different die combinations or styles. The four combinations have been classified by respected collector and author Bill Mira as the type A/1, D/2, E/3 and C/4, the letter referring to the obverse die, the numeral representing the reverse die.

On the obverse, the different styles are reflected in the shape of the cross on the crown, the position of this cross in relation to the letters in the legend above it. And in the shapes and positioning of the row of five jewels in the band of the crown.

On the reverse, differences are found in the distances between the words 'FIFTEEN' and 'PENCE' and in the position of the 'T' in 'FIFTEEN' in relation to the 'N' in 'PENCE'.

Historians believe that the C/4 and E/3 dies were used to produce test pieces, presented to Governor Macquarie for approval before production began. While they are incredibly rare, the coins are crude and quite esoteric.

The A/1 and D/2 Dumps are viewed by collectors as 'mainstream' with the A/1 Dump the most frequently sighted (75% of examples). And the D/2, the rarer of the two (20% of examples).

Historians argue that the D/2 design types were most likely the first coins produced, since the majority of specimens reflect one major design fault. The legend and the date tend to be partially struck because the dies were too big for the blank. And the denticles (introduced as a security measure) are almost always absent.

This coin is an exceptional piece for it has design detail and shows a finesse in the striking that is not normally seen in the D/2 type. The legend and the date are contained in the coin.

Lachlan Macquarie had high hopes for the Holey Dollar and Dump, and in particular the Dump. He stated that the Dump would fill the role of small change and would remove much of the need for promissory notes of low denominations.

As a coin intended as small change, the Dump circulated widely in the colony, the extreme wear on most examples evidence of their considerable use. 

This 1813 Dump with a quality level of Extremely Fine, is amongst the top ten D/2s and one of the finest known of all design types. In the hand the coin is impressive, the fields are highly reflective with grey toning. 

There is no doubt that heat was involved in the creation of the Dump. When the disc fell out of the centre of the Spanish Dollar, it still bore the original dollar design of a four quadrant shield, depicting a lion and castle in each quadrant. High temperatures obliterated the original Spanish Dollar design from most Dumps.

This Dump has extensive evidence of the original Spanish Dollar design on the reverse, that evidence includes the cross-bars of the shield and the lion's tail and the castle. Amazing!

Convicted forger and emancipist, William Henshall, was hired to create the nation's first currency, effectively our first Mint Master. He declared his involvement in the creation of the Dump by inserting his initial, an 'H' for Henshall, on some - but not all - of the reverse dies of the Dump. 

The 'H' for Henshall is rarely ever seen on D/2 Dumps. And on the reverse of this coin it is plump and three-dimensional. 

There is more in store for the buyer when when you take this coin under an eye glass. Two other outstanding attributes are noted.

The extreme left and right edge of the horizontal cross on the orb at the top of the crown is evident. Most collectors would not even be aware that, as with the 1852 Adelaide Pound, the Dump design includes a cross on the orb at the top of the crown.

And there is a 'stop' in the legend 'NEW SOUTH WALES' after 'NEW' and after 'SOUTH'. The dies would have had shallow depressions to create the stops and must have quickly filled with debris for they can be difficult - or impossible - to discern on even the best of D/2 examples.

1813 Dump struck from the rare D/2 dies

$75,000

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 and look as though they could have been struck from an ordinary blank silver disc.

Not so with this 1813 Dump.

The coin is a dynamic example of Australia’s first fifteen pence and clearly reflects its origins with strong 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.

When it comes to collecting vintage gold coins, collectors have two distinct options.

Collectors can acquire coins that were struck for circulation. Circulating coins were mass produced, hurled down a shute and into a barrel to be delivered to the banks, the mintages determined by Government and generally in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions. 

Collectors can also collect coins that were struck as Coins of Record. Using standards and techniques far beyond that required for circulating currency, Coins of Record were minted to a proof or specimen finish and because the process was time-intensive, mintages were generally less than ten.

Each option, circulating currency or Coins of Record, presents the buyer with a vastly different sized pool of examples from which to choose. And very different challenges for procurement.

Average circulating gold sovereigns struck in years that have no special importance are generally readily available. 

Once a buyer sets parameters on the quality and the dates being sought, the pool of specimens narrows and it is true that acquiring a key date gold coin that was struck for circulation, particularly one in premium quality, can be a journey in time that involves years.

This 1856 Sovereign is a key-date coin, the second year of operation of the nation's first mint. And the quality, Uncirculated. 

History shows us that it could be five to ten years before a comparable example surfaces.

The Sydney Mint was established in a wing of the 'Rum Hospital' in Macquarie Street, Sydney. 

The mint began receiving gold on 14 May 1855 and issued its first gold sovereign soon after on June 23. A total of 502,000 sovereigns were issued in 1855 and 981,000 the following year.

Both coins share the same reverse design. And the same obverse design of a young Queen Victoria with a braid in her hair, referred to as the Type I portrait design.

The Type I design only lasted for two years, and was replaced in 1857, making the 1855 and 1856 Sydney Mint Sovereigns keenly sought. 

Based on the mintages of 502,000 and 981,000, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign should be twice as difficult to find. But that is simply not the case.

Both the 1855 and the 1856 Sovereign are equally difficult to find in any quality, and particularly challenging to find an 1856 sovereign in top quality.

We looked at some of the famous gold coin auctions and compared their offering of the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign and the 1856 counterpart. With an acknowledgement of the almost unlimited resources involved in putting together these collections, both physically and financially. 

The 1856 Sovereign posed the greatest challenge.

• The Quartermaster auction in 2009 offered a Choice Uncirculated 1855 and an Uncirculated 1856. We further note that the Quartermaster 1855 and 1856 sovereigns had been formerly owned by Robert Jaggard and Paul Terry, both collectors having advanced gold coin collections and unlimited resources to acquire the very best. 

• The famous Sharps Pixley Auction conducted by Spink Auctions in Sydney 1989 offered a Choice Uncirculated 1855 Sovereign with full mint bloom, yet only a circulated 1856 Sovereign, graded Extremely Fine.

• The Bentley Collection in London 2012, offered an 1855 sovereign similar in quality to the Quartermaster example, and a circulated 1856, Extremely Fine.

• The sale of the George Collection conducted by St James Auction in London in 2014, offered the Sharps Pixley Choice Uncirculated 1855 Sovereign and again an Extremely Fine 1856 Sovereign.

Conclusion? This Uncirculated 1856 Sydney Mint Sovereign is a profound opportunity for the Sovereign collector.