And while we have given considerable attention to Ray Jewell, let's not forget that renowned collectors Ahbe and Osborne were also former owners of this piece.

When William Henshall created this Holey Dollar in 1813, he grabbed an 1805 Spanish Silver Dollar that had been struck at the Mexico Mint.

If William Henshall had been a numismatist he would have acknowledged that the 1805 Spanish Silver Dollar that he was about to deface showed minimal signs of wear. Given that he was holding the world's greatest trading coin, that in itself was a miracle.

Committed to the task of creating holey dollars from silver dollars, he cut a hole in the dollar and continued the minting process by over-stamping the inner circular edge of the hole with the words New South Wales, the date 1813 and the value of five shillings, thereby creating this 1813 Holey Dollar.

The original 1805 Spanish Silver Dollar used to create this Holey Dollar is graded in the premium quality level of Good Very Fine indicating that it underwent slight circulation before the hole was cut into it in 1813.

The extent of usage of the Holey Dollar after it was released into circulation is evidenced by the wear to the counter-stamps, the over-stamping around the inner circular edge … New South Wales, 1813 and Five Shillings.

The counter-stamps of this Holey Dollar are graded in the premium quality levels of Extremely Fine indicating that as a Holey Dollar this coin also underwent minimal circulation.

The Holey Dollar is one of Australia’s most desirable coins.

The status of the Holey Dollar as Australia’s first coin ensures that it will never be forgotten and, as time passes, its historical value can only increase.

Talk to those fortunate enough to own one, either private collectors or institutions such as Macquarie Bank, National Museum of Australia and the Mitchell Library, and they will tell you that the Holey Dollar is viewed as the jewel in their collection. And that statement is made irrespective of the quality.

The coin is rare. And the coin is steeped in history. And yet it is refreshingly current. The ingenuity of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in creating our first coin is reflected in the naming of the Macquarie Bank and the bank’s ultimate adoption of the Holey Dollar as its logo.

The pleasure of owning a Holey Dollar is indefinable. The pleasure is heightened when you open one of the leading Holey Dollar reference books, "The Holey Dollars of New South Wales" and see the coin featured and photographed on page 51. A copy of the book will accompany the sale.

This Holey Dollar is impactful, the monarch's eye and nose totally visible, an aspect of the design that was almost always obliterated by mint master William Henshall when he smashed out the hole.

A premium quality 1813 Holey Dollar, the former property of renowned collectors, Jewell, Ahbe and Osborne. 

Uncirculated 1852 Adelaide Pound Type I, one of three known at this supreme quality level.  We comment on the strength in the edges and denticles and lettering. And the fabulous fields.

Australia’s first gold coin, a One Pound, was struck on 23 September 1852 at the Government Assay Office in Adelaide, South Australia. The first production run of Adelaide Pounds, used an obverse die with a crown and a reverse die with a simple, elegant beaded inner circle. (Shown above)

During the first run, pressure was applied to the edges to ensure that the denticles and the legend were strong. About fifty coins were produced before a crack developed in the die, forcing an interruption to production and the hasty preparation of a replacement die.

Feeling the strain to resume production, Joshua Payne opted for a simpler version of the reverse die, the legend and value in plain lettering. He also changed the design of the inner border, duplicating that already in place on the crown side.

Production was resumed with the second die and a further 24,000-plus coins minted, referred to as the Type II One Pounds.

By using two different dies, Joshua Payne clearly distinguished between those coins struck in the modest first run. And those from the more substantial second run.

And in so doing created a rarity of the highest order. The Gold One Pound struck during the very first production run of the nation's first gold coin, better known as the Type I Adelaide One Pound.

What we know today is that less than forty Type I Adelaide One Pounds are in collector’s hands. And perhaps six times that figure of the Type II examples. Both rare. But the Type I One Pound excruciatingly rare. And this example, one of the finest of them all.

The enormity of this offer cannot be overstated. This coin was never given kid gloves treatment during the production process. It was struck in what can only be described as a factory, hammered out and hurled down an assembly line, more than likely into a barrel or bucket.

How this coin survived the production process, and more than one hundred and seventy years later still be in a pristine original state is impossible to fathom.

This is a unique opportunity to acquire an inspiring example of Australia's very first gold coin, offered at a spectacular quality level.

Uncirculated 1852 Adelaide Pound Type I, one of three known at this supreme quality level. Exceptional strength in the edges, legend and the crown. And lustrous fields.

The 1852 Adelaide Pound holds a very special place in Australia's history as the nation's first gold coin. It was minted in November 1852 at the Government Assay Office, Adelaide.

The Assay office had opened nine months earlier on 10 February 1852, its sole purpose to assay gold nuggets brought from the Victorian goldfields and to re-shape them into ingots.

No minting expertise was required in the casting of the ingots. While they conformed to a shape and style, they were crude and rough and ready and each had its own unique shape and size depending on the weight of gold assayed.

Nine months later, following agitation from Adelaide’s business community, legislation was passed that authorised the Government Assay Office to strike gold coins.

Suddenly precision was required. The design was intricate, created by colonial die-sinker and engraver, Joshua Payne. So, it was always going to be a tough ask for a factory to start churning out currency to a defined weight and design.

The intention was that the Adelaide Pound would circulate. And be used in every day commercial transactions, as part of a grand plan by South Australia's Governor, Sir Henry Young, to stimulate his state's ailing economy.

The coin was never given kid gloves treatment during the production process.

It was struck in what can only be described as a factory, hammered out and hurled down an assembly line, more than likely into a barrel or bucket.

How this particular coin survived the production process, and more than a century and a half later still be in a glorious original state is almost impossible to fathom.

1924 Proof Threepence, brilliant reverse fields

1924 Proof Threepence, featuring the portrait of King George V (1910 - 1936).

1926 Proof Threepence, brilliant reverse fields, and magnificent tone. 

1926 Proof Threepence, featuring the portrait of King George V (1910 - 1936).

This 1924 Proof Threepence and 1926 Proof Threepence were not struck for collectors as part of any mass-marketing sales campaign. They were struck for the mint's archives and the privileged few. Because it was a specially arranged striking of presentation pieces, only a handful were struck.

Technically, we refer to them as 'Coins of Record'. Australian Pre-decimal Coins that were struck as proofs - but not destined for collectors.

The term, COIN OF RECORD, is to a large extent self-explanatory. It is a coin that has been minted to put on record a date. Or to record a design.

What is not self-explanatory is that Coins of Record were struck to PROOF quality as presentation pieces. And were struck in the most minute numbers satisfying the requirements of the mint rather than the wants of collectors.

Forget the notion of striking ten thousand proofs as collectors are accustomed to today. Let's talk about striking a total of ten coins ... or in the case of this coin a lot less!

For today’s collectors the Coins of Record offer a wonderful link to the past and are extremely rare, two reasons that make them so popular.

There was no commercial angle in the production of Coins of Record. The mints were not out to make money from the exercise. Quite the reverse, striking a proof coin in our pre-decimal era was a very labour intensive (and hence costly) exercise that would have dented the mints annual budget quite considerably. The prime reason why so few coins were struck.

In the striking of a proof coin, the mint’s intention was to create a single masterpiece, coining perfection. Perfection in the dies. Wire brushed so that they are razor sharp. Perfection in the design, highly detailed, expertly crafted. Perfection in the fields, achieved by hand selecting unblemished blanks, polished to create a mirror shine. Perfection in the edges to encase the design … exactly what a ‘picture frame does to a canvass’.

A proof is an artistic interpretation of a coin that was intended for circulation. A proof coin is meant to be impactful, have the ‘wow’ factor and exhibit qualities that are clearly visible to the naked eye. A proof coin was never intended to be used in every-day use, tucked away in a purse. Or popped into a pocket.

So, what happened to these Coins of Record? Where did they go? And if they were struck by the mints for their own use, how did they get into collector's hands?

In the main, Coins of Record ended up in the mint’s own archives, preserving its history for future generations. Any coins that were surplus to requirements may also have been sent to a museum or public institution.

Coins of Record were also put on display at public Exhibitions. The two known examples of the Proof 1866 Sovereign and Proof 1866 Half Sovereign were especially struck to exhibit as ‘products of New South Wales’ as part of the Colonial Mints display at the International Colonial Exhibition of 1866 and the International Exposition in Paris, 1867. They were discovered in London in the early 1970s.

It is noted that many of the overseas mints have over time sold off Coins of Record that they considered excess to their requirements allowing them to come into collector's hands. The Royal Mint South Africa sold off several Australian gold proofs in the 1990s.

It is also noted that influential collectors, and those that moved in the same circles as the Deputy Master, did occasionally receive a proof coin. Most likely in exchange for a coin of the same face value, so that the mint's 'books' would be balanced.

The Quartermaster 1855 Sydney Mint Half Sovereign commands attention and commands respect.

It is an elite coin, with the same numismatic clout as the Nobleman 1852 Adelaide One Pound. The Hastings-Deering Type II 1852 Adelaide One Pound. The Gibbs 1813 Holey Dollar and the J J Ford D/2 1813 Dump. (Shown here)

These five grand colonial rarities are showpiece examples of our founding coins and are the best of the best, standing head and shoulders above all others.

They are unchallenged for quality.

(Top left J J Ford D/2 1813 Dump • Top right Hastings-Deering Type II Adelaide One Pound • Bottom left Nobleman Adelaide One Pound • Bottom right The Gibbs 1813 Holey Dollar)

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 Half Sovereign lasted until 1866 and was the only time the word Australia appeared on our gold sovereigns. From 1871, Australia's half sovereigns took on a traditional British design.

Australia entered a new era post world war I. A carefree population keen to lessen the ties with Great Britain, establish a strong national identity and forge its own way.

Consideration was given to introducing a new currency, the Kookaburra Square Penny, a unique Australian coin that featured our native bird. It was one of the instruments the Government believed would give us a greater awareness, and appreciation, of all things Australian.

To maximise impact, a new shape was planned with the move from circular to square. And bronze was to be discarded and a new metal taken up, that of cupro-nickel.

The Kookaburra Pennies that remain today are relics of our past, their engaging shape and design stirring up strong collector sentiment. And with such limited numbers available, collector thirst is also driven by their extreme rarity.

Acquiring a single 1919 Kookaburra Square Penny will test a collector's resolve. The waiting time might be several years. A collector will have to stay committed to the task to acquire a 1920 Kookaburra Square Penny for they are extremely rare. The wait may even be longer.

And that's not to make light of the effort required to procure a top quality 1921 Kookaburra Penny.

• 1919 Kookaburra Square Penny Type 3.
• Offered in this set at $40,000.
• Proof-like surfaces and stunning toning.

• 1919 Kookaburra Square Penny Type 3.
• A collector can expect a waiting time of one to two years for a 1919 Kookaburra Penny to come onto the market. 

• 1920 Kookaburra Square Penny Type 7.
• Offered in this set at $50,000.
• Brilliant surfaces and a highly detailed design.

• 1920 Kookaburra Square Penny Type 7.
• The year 1920 is regarded as the glamour year of the entire series.

• 1921 Kookaburra Square Penny Type 11.
• Offered in this set at $30,000.
• Brilliant surfaces and handsome toning.

• 1921 Kookaburra Square Penny Type 11.
• The rarer of the two design types dated 1921.

In an article published in the Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia 2005, renowned numismatist Paul Holland contends that the Perth Mint proofs seemed to have been created for unaided vision, the point here being that a collector would not need an eye-glass to take in their beauty.

He also contends that the 1951-PL proofs from the Royal Mint London came to be viewed as the best possible model for what Perth Mint bronze proofs should look like for the PL copper proofs, as a general rule, are stunning. Visually impactful.

When you look at this Proof 1952 Penny you can't help but feel that Holland was spot-on with his assessment.

The rarity of the Proof 1952 Penny was confirmed in 1995 in an article published in the NAA journal (Volume 8) by John Sharples, the then Curator of Australia’s Numismatic Archives.

He examined the distribution of proof coins recorded in Perth Mint communications and records over the period 1940 – 1954. He found evidence that fifteen proof pennies were struck at the Perth Mint in 1952.

He noted that two private collectors (most likely Syd Hagley and Ray Jewell) received examples of the pre-1955 proof coins, such was the influence of these collectors.

The balance of the mintage, however, was destined for the mint's own archives with the majority sent to Public Collections and Numismatic Societies.

The official list authorised to receive Perth proofs were the Australian War Memorial, Royal Mint London, British Museum, Royal Mint Melbourne, Japan Mint, National Gallery SA, Art Gallery WA, National Gallery Victoria, Victorian Numismatic Society, South Australian Numismatic Society and the Australian Numismatic Society.

That the bulk of the mintage was gifted to institutions is the very reason why they are so rare in today's collector market. We might sight a Proof 1952 Penny on the market every three to four years. One as spectacular as this is a once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity.

Apart from its extreme rarity, we offer four sound reasons why this Proof 1952 Penny is a must-have for today's collector.

1. Brilliantly preserved proof coins of the Perth Mint are unrivalled for quality.

The coins not only display superb levels of detail in their design, but qualities and colours that are unmatched by those of the Melbourne Mint. Each coin is a work of art, as individual, and as beautiful, as an opal. This Proof 1952 Penny looks like molten copper. It is magnificent.

2. Proof coins have a wonderful connection to the past.

They are the story tellers, defining an era, or a year, like no other coin. Proofs can also define an occasion. And a monarch. And they tend to have a connection to a prominent person, either a dignitary, a Mint Master or an influential collector. The Proof 1952 Penny is the last proof penny struck with the portrait of George VI.

3. Collectors are all but guaranteed that the market will never be flooded with examples.

The Perth Mint Proof Record Pieces is a sector of the rare coin market that offers financial stability and has been the hunting ground of investors for decades. The sector also has strength because it has widespread support amongst the Australian dealer market.

4. The Perth Mint is still operating.

That the Perth Mint is a leading coin producer makes their pre-decimal proofs historical. But also vibrantly current. So the ‘Perth Mint’ message always remains strong, underpinning future interest.

For collectors looking to obtain just one gold sovereign, the nation’s very first sovereign, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is the obvious choice.

The coin is an enduring symbol of the Sydney Mint’s role in transforming Australia’s first major mineral resource into the lifeblood of a nation.

Our respect for the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is well documented. It is the nation’s first official gold coin and in the upper quality levels is extremely rare, a rarity that far outweighs demand.

The 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is sought by the collector that is targeting important / key dates.

The very first year of our official gold currency is an important date in Australia’s numismatic and financial history.

The 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign also appeals to the sovereign collector. And given the scarcity of the '55 sovereign in the upper quality levels, it also appeals to the investor.

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.

The chart also shows that 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereigns in a quality range of Good Extremely Fine to Choice Uncirculated are exceptionally scarce.

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 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 sovereign 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 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 were legal tender only in the colony of New South Wales.

In January 1856, the British tested the quality of the colonial sovereigns 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 sovereigns 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.

The 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is an Australian rare coin that has timeless appeal.

It is Australia’s first official gold currency and was produced at the Sydney Mint, the nation's first mint. As it so happens, the Sydney Mint also was the first overseas branch of the Royal Mint London.

The coin is a highlight of our financial history and for collectors, a highlight of our numismatic history.

So why would you buy an 1855 Sovereign?

Gold is Australia’s most popular collecting metal and for collectors looking to obtain just one gold sovereign, the nation’s very first sovereign, the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is the obvious choice.

Our respect for the 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is well documented. It is the nation’s first official gold coin and in the upper quality levels is extremely rare, a rarity that far outweighs demand. So, it appeals to the investor. The coin is also held as a family heirloom to pass on to future generations.

This 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign is a stunner in the flesh with an obverse that reflects the light, a strong date and minimal marks in the fields.

Very impressive, 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign with a lustrous reverse and strength in the crown and in the word 'AUSTRALIA'.

The 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereign has pride of place in every Australian sovereign collection. It is the nation’s first gold sovereign minted at the Sydney Mint, the nation’s very first mint, and brings to any collection a wonderful and everlasting history.

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 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 sovereign 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 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 were legal tender only in the colony of New South Wales.

In January 1856, the British tested the quality of the colonial sovereigns 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 sovereigns 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.

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 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.

The chart also shows that 1855 Sydney Mint Sovereigns in a quality range of Extremely Fine to Choice Uncirculated are exceptionally scarce.

The Melbourne Mint was Australia’s longest serving mint to Government and the community, striking its first coin in 1872 and its last in 1964.

Two dates are integral to the mint's long history and to the nation’s numismatic heritage.

The most significant is its opening year, 1872, when the mint struck its first sovereign. The second most significant date is 1916 when the Melbourne Mint switched metals and commenced striking silver coins for the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia.

Sadly, for collectors, the mint failed to produce any presentation pieces for its opening in 1872.

That numismatic shortcoming was addressed in 1916. The Deputy Master of the Melbourne Mint authorised the production of sixty cased Presentation Sets, some of which were sold to collectors with others 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.

Each coin in this 1916 Presentation Set has been carefully examined and we make the following comments.

1916 Specimen Florin - Beautifully struck, with superb detail in all design elements. Smooth surfaces and highly reflective with stunning colours on both obverse and reverse, the coin exhibits the classic striations associated with this controlled specimen striking.

1916 Specimen Shilling - Highly reflective, superbly struck and beautiful antique toning. 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 and high rim.

1916 Specimen Sixpence - Proof-like with beautifully mirrored fields. Very well struck, the denticles on the reverse rim are unusually strong. 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.

Early in November 1915 the Melbourne Mint was formally instructed to commence preparations for the striking of the Commonwealth's silver coinage. The silver was sourced locally from the Broken Hill mines. (Prior to 1915, the nation's silver coinage had been minted overseas at the Royal Mint London and the Heaton Mint in Birmingham.)

Towards the end of November 1915, dies for the set of four denominations were sent from London.

Six weeks after the dies were shipped, the Governor of Victoria Sir Arthur Stanley K.C.M.G, struck the first circulating 1916 shilling. It was logical that the Melbourne Mint would begin striking silver coinage with the shilling denomination given its similar physical size to their familiar sovereign.

The florin was struck almost immediately after, sixpences by the middle of 1916 with the threepences finally in December. More than 11.5 million silver coins were released into circulation that year.

The Melbourne Mint's inaugural striking of Australia's Commonwealth coins was a momentous occasion in minting circles. The Deputy Master of the Melbourne Mint therefore decided to create a Presentation Set. (A Presentation Set records an important moment or event in a nation's history by way of its coinage.)

Each presentation set was comprised of the four silver coins of florin, shilling, sixpence and threepence struck to specimen quality and featured the Melbourne mint mark ‘M’ below the date 1916.

The four coins were housed in a handsome, velvet-lined royal blue case that had been locally sourced.

The availability of the four-coin specimen presentation set was confirmed in November 1916 when Le Souëf recorded an entry of sixty specimen sets in the Mint Museums’ cash accounts with a face value of £11 5/-.

While records show that 60 sets were produced, sixteen were sold, collectors charged 6/- for a cased set. A further 25 sets out of the original mintage were presented to dignitaries and politicians with the precise fate of the remaining sets unknown.

What we do know is that many of the cases have been lost and many of the sets have been broken up and sold as individual coins. We also know that others were accidentally used as circulating coins, their value irreparably reduced through wear.

Over the past 50 years we have sighted only seven sets housed in their original case of issue. 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 fundamentals of this Holey Dollar.

When Mint Master William Henshall created this Holey Dollar, he grabbed a Spanish Silver Dollar that had been struck at the Mexico Mint in 1803. The dollar depicted the legend and portrait of King Charles IV. The coin was one of 40,000 Spanish Silver Dollars imported by Lachlan Macquarie to use as the basis of the colony's first currency.

Armed with a punch, Henshall cut a hole in the dollar. He then placed the holed coin into a simple drop hammer system which held two dies.

One die contained the elements ‘New South Wales’ and ‘1813’. The other die contained the denomination of ‘Five Shillings’, a double twig of leaves and an ‘H’ discretely placed at the juncture of the twigs, Henshall determined to leave his mark. The design elements on the two dies are known as the counter-stamps.

Using gravitational force, the design elements of the dies were stamped onto both sides of the holed silver dollar around the inner circular edge of the hole. And it is at this point – and this point only – that the ‘holed’ silver dollar became the 1813 New South Wales Five Shillings. Better known as the 1813 Holey Dollar.

Original coin a high quality Good Very Fine, toned to a soft gun-metal blue grey, the surfaces lustrous and smooth.

The Mexico Mint mark 'M' and a circle above it, shown clearly in the legend. A lovely coin with high quality Extremely Fine counterstamps.

We like the quality and eye appeal of this Holey Dollar. The design of the original silver dollar is highly detailed. So too, the counter stamps.

The original Spanish silver dollar is uniformly toned a glorious, soft gun-metal  blue grey. The surfaces are smooth. Look closely and you see that the coin has original silver lustre.

With a quality level of Good Very Fine, it is a high calibre Holey Dollar and an exception to those most commonly found. (See chart below.) The extensive use of the Spanish Silver Dollar as an international trading coin meant  that most of the coins imported by Macquarie were well worn.

What we also know about this Holey Dollar is that after it was created by William Henshall it underwent minimal circulation for the counter stamps New South Wales, 1813 and Five Shillings are of an exceptional nature: the lettering highlighted by original lustre and beautiful toning. The technical grading of the counter stamps is Extremely Fine.

Consider that after delivering this Holey Dollar to  the Deputy Commissary Generalʼs Office in 1814 along with the 39,909 other Holey Dollars,  it was barely used. And then, after the Holey Dollars were officially demonitised in 1829, this coin survived the recall, and the eventual melting pot. It is simply miraculous.

The Holey Dollar is one of Australia's most desirable coins. Talk to those fortunate enough to own one and they will tell you that the coin is the jewel in their collection. And that statement is made irrespective of the quality level.

A Holey Dollar can resemble a washer if it is well circulated. Or it can reach the heady quality heights  of the Gibbs Uncirculated Holey Dollar. Or it can be at a quality level somewhere in between. No matter the quality, the pleasure of ownership is immeasurable.

Once you move from the well circulated Fine and Good Fine quality levels up to the Very Fine and Good Very Fine echelons, and then further up again to the Extremely Fine levels the differences in quality at each level are noticeable and are clearly visible to the naked eye. It is the detail in the hair, the robes and the overall state of the fields.

The price of this coin reflects its outstanding quality attributes.

The pride and satisfaction associated with owning a special coin is markedly enhanced with knowledge of both the people associated with its production and previous owners through whose hands it has passed.

New Zealand numismatist, Henry George Williams played a key role in persuading the Melbourne Mint to issue proof coins on a commercial basis in 1935.

Williams was captivated by the golden-eye appeal achieved by the Melbourne Mint with their proof coppers and ordered 126 pennies and 126 halfpennies. Williams sold the majority of pairs into the advanced collector markets in the U.K. and the U.S, the very reason why the coins are so scarce in the Australian market.

That Williams did not request the minting of any proof silver coins in 1935 reflected his personal preference and his insight into the market, that demand for the bronze coins far outweighed that for the silver.

Historical letters confirm that the proofs of 1935 were struck from especially hardened blanks, and were struck twice with fresh dies in the presses. The lack of bag marks is consistent with the coins being made effectively by hand.

Natural attrition has taken its toll on the original mintage with many of the coins poorly handled or accidentally filtering their way into circulation.

We would expect to sight a Proof 1935 Penny on the open market, perhaps once every year. A coin of this calibre will involve a wait of several years.

With on-line ordering and toll-free phone numbers, buying your favourite collector coin from the Royal Australian Mint has never been easier. Collectors in the nineteenth and twentieth century however were not afforded the same consideration from the operating mints.

The Sydney Mint opened in 1855 as a branch of the Royal Mint London and closed in 1926. Throughout its entire history, the mint did not strike proofs for collectors on a commercial basis. The Melbourne Mint, Australia’s second coining facility, opened in 1872. During its first forty-four years of operation, the mint did not strike coins for collectors on a commercial basis.

The Melbourne Mint’s first commercial foray for collectors occurred in 1916 when the mint especially created a presentation set to commemorate its inaugural striking of the Commonwealth’s silver coins.

Sadly, for collectors, the 1916 Presentation Set did not set a precedent for further coin issues. Government policy dictated that minting resources be applied to the striking of circulating coins for Treasury, rather than pandering to the whims of collectors through the regular issuing of proofs.

Over the next thirty-eight years, from 1916 to 1953, the Melbourne Mint played ‘cat and mouse’ with collectors by releasing only another seven proof and/or specimen issues. The issues were ad hoc. The mintages inconsistent.

The years in which the collector issues occurred were 1916, 1927, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1953. We refer to these eight issues as ‘The Collector Coins of the Melbourne Mint, 1916 to 1953’.

They were pivotal in changing Australia's coin collecting landscape in the twentieth century, the pre-cursor to the series taken up by the Royal Australian Mint in 1966.

Gold has been a symbol of status and wealth throughout the ages and is presented here in one of its most prestigious forms.

A limited mintage gold proof coin. One of two sighted at auction.

And while Philip Spalding is remembered for his love of Holey Dollars. It must be said that he was a sophisticated collector on many levels, guided in his selections by Barrie Winsor. And this 1888 Proof Sovereign, featuring the Jubilee portrait of Queen Victoria, was one of his prized possessions.

A reverse of St George & the Dragon and an obverse Jubilee portrait.

Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee, the fiftieth anniversary of her accession, on 20 June 1887.

The Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria that was depicted on Australia’s sovereigns between 1871 and 1887 was replaced with a Jubilee portrait designed by Austrian medallist Joseph Edgar Boehm.

The Jubilee portrait continued uninterrupted on Australia's sovereigns from 1887 up to (and including) 1893 when Australia introduced Queen Victoria’s Veiled Head portrait.

Jubilee Proof Sovereigns are extremely rare.

When sizing up a coin and evaluating its potential for growth, a buyer needs to consider two aspects.

1. The rarity of the coin itself.
2. And the rarity of the sector of the market to which it belongs.

The adage, ‘less is best’ holds true in the rare coin industry for you don't want the market to be flooded with examples from the same sector.

The ideal ‘investment’ scenario occurs when the coin is rare. And the sector is occupied by very few other coins. This coin a case in point!

So how does this Proof 1888 Sovereign stack up?

As detailed above, this Proof 1888 Sovereign is rare. One of two sighted at auction. And it is noted that Proof Sovereigns out of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee era (1887 to 1893) are amazingly limited in numbers as the text below reveals.

Sydney Mint Jubilee Proofs

• The Sydney Mint struck proofs in the very first year of the design, 1887. Two examples have been sighted.
• The Sydney Mint did NOT strike any proofs in the years 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891 and 1892.
• The Sydney Mint struck proofs in the last year of the design, 1893. Only one example has been sighted.

Melbourne Mint Jubilee Proofs

• The Melbourne Mint struck proofs in the first year of the design, 1887. The coin has never been sighted.
• The Melbourne Mint struck proofs in 1888. Two examples have been sighted. This coin. And another example that was last sighted at auction in 1994.
• The Melbourne Mint struck proofs in 1889. One example has been sighted, the last auction appearance occurring in 1988.
• The Melbourne Mint is said to have struck proofs in 1890. They have never been sighted.
• The Melbourne Mint did NOT strike any proofs in the years 1891 and 1892.
• The Melbourne Mint struck Jubilee proofs in 1893, none of which have ever been sighted.

Aside from their extreme scarcity, proof gold coins are a delight to the eye, appealing to those who seek perfection in coining.

Remarkable quality and an early date for with a quality grading of Extremely Fine, this is the finest Charles III Holey Dollar available to collectors.

If a Holey Dollar had been struck from a bright and shiny brand-new piece of silver, we would accept that some, maybe many, would survive today relatively unscathed.

The Holey Dollar, however, was struck from a Spanish Silver Dollar, a commodity that was far from shiny and brand-new. The coin was heavily traded worldwide with most well-used and worn.

And this Holey Dollar was created from a silver dollar that was issued in 1789.

The coin is in a miraculous state when you consider that the original silver dollar circulated twenty-four years before it was imported into the colony of New South Wales by Governor Lachlan Macquarie and plucked out of the barrel by his cohort William Henshall and defaced by cutting a hole in it.

More than two decades. Plenty of opportunities for wear. And plenty of opportunities for defects. None of which are evident. There is only a hint of wear to the high points.

Now, we have handled a Holey Dollar that was struck from a Potosi Mint 1807 Spanish Silver Dollar. Graded at Extremely Fine, it's an exciting coin because Holey Dollars at this quality level are extremely scarce, in the top seven per cent of known surviving examples.

But which coin is the more remarkable? An Extremely Fine Holey Dollar struck from an 1807 Spanish Silver Dollar that circulated six years before William Henshall got his hands on it. Or an Extremely Fine Holey Dollar struck from a Spanish Silver Dollar that was minted in 1789 and circulated twenty-four years before Henshall punched the hole into it. The answer is obvious.

The earlier the date of the Spanish Silver Dollar, the greater the period of circulation before it came into Henshall’s hands.

So, the earlier the date, the more remarkable the occurrence of finding a top-quality Holey Dollar.

The conundrum of this Holey Dollar is how the 1789 Spanish Silver Dollar escaped being used. How did it retain a pristine condition during the thirty-six years before it arrived in the colony and was grabbed out of a barrel by William Henshall?

In the eighteenth-century Spain ruled the world and the Spanish Silver Dollar dominated trade. It was an international currency and medium of exchange the world over. The reason why most Holey Dollars are found today well worn.

This Holey Dollar was struck in 1813 on a 1790 Mexico Mint Spanish Silver Dollar, pierced from the reverse side with crenellations.

The pierced dollar was then counter stamped on the King’s head and on the reverse with a crowned 16 within a shaped indent. The monetary value was 16 bitts.

The original Spanish Dollar from which it was created features the legend of the reigning monarch Charles IV.

But the twist to this coin is that it features the portrait of the deceased monarch Charles III.

We refer to it as a 'Transitional' Holey Dollar and they are supremely rare.

Transitional Holey Dollars chronicle the limitations of communications in this era. And the challenges of the colonial mints wishing to maintain silver coin production. 

Eager to maintain production of silver coins to flow into Spanish coffers, a Royal decree granted the colonial mints the right to continue striking coins with the portrait of the deceased King Charles III.

The legend was however amended to acknowledge the new monarch Charles IV, thereby observing the currency protocols for the passing of a monarch..

By 1791, the mints had received the portrait of the new king; the official portrait of Charles IV appearing on the Spanish Silver Dollars for the first time in that year.

Dominica is a Caribbean Island. First sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493, later colonized by the French in the 17th century and a British colony one century later.

Between 1642 and 1650, French missionary Raymond Breton became the first regular European visitor to the island.

In 1660, the French and English agreed that Dominica and St. Vincent should not be settled, but left to the Caribs as neutral territory.

But its natural resources attracted expeditions of English and French foresters, who began harvesting timber. 

In 1690, the French established their first permanent settlements. French woodcutters from Martinique and Guadeloupe began to set up timber camps to supply the French islands with wood and gradually become permanent settlers. 

In 1727, the first French commander, M. Le Grand, took charge of the island with a basic French government; Dominique formally became a colony of France, and the island was divided into districts or "quarters".

Already installed in Martinique and Guadeloupe and cultivating sugarcane, the French gradually developed plantations in Dominica for coffee. They imported so many African slaves to fill the labour demands that the population became predominantly African in ethnicity.

In 1761, during the Seven Years' War in Europe, a British expedition against Dominica led by Andrew Rollo conquered the island along with several other Caribbean islands. In 1763, France ceded the island to Great Britain under the Treaty of Paris.

The same year, the British established a legislative assembly, representing only European colonists. French remained the official language, but Antillean Creole was spoken by most of the population. In 1778 the French, with the active co-operation of the population, began the Invasion of Dominica, which was ended by the 1783 Treaty of Paris. French invasions in 1795 and 1805 ended in failure.

There is a 'wish-list' of key indicators that collectors look for in numismatic investment, they being rarity, an important date, widespread appeal and supreme proof quality. And this 1887 Proof Half Sovereign has the lot!

An important date.

It is an acknowledged fact that collectors pursue the first year of a series over and above all other years out of an era. The first year is defining. The second is not.

And the year '1887' is the very first year of a new design. The 'Jubilee' portrait of Queen Victoria was introduced in 1887 to mark the monarch's Golden jubilee (1837 - 1887). The design lasted only six years and was replaced with the Veiled Head design, reflecting the monarch's mature years.

The coin is extremely rare.

This coin was first sighted in 1903 in the liquidation of the famous John G Murdoch Collection, Lot 625. No other example has ever been sighted.

Not only is the coin extremely rare, but this area of the market presents very few options for buyers.

While sovereigns were produced at the Melbourne Mint each year and in mammoth numbers, half sovereign production was sporadic, the Mint producing half sovereigns for circulation in only two years, 1887 and 1893. And the mintages were minuscule.

The buyer seeking a proof striking of the Melbourne Mint’s circulating Jubilee Half Sovereigns therefore has only two date options, 1887 or 1893.

Widespread appeal.

Proof coins are prestigious. They inspire respect and admiration. Ask collectors why they pursue proof coins over circulating currency and the prestige of owning a proof coin is most likely at the top of their list. It's the euphoria that comes with owning something that very few other people can ever possess.

Proof coins are by definition, extremely rare and their scarcity is a natural draw card. In some respect, proof coin collectors are playing it smart because the inherent rarity of proof coinage provides a level of assurance that the market will never be inundated with examples, protecting their investment.

The rarity of Australia's proof sovereigns and half sovereigns is acknowledged worldwide and has instigated a strong reaction from buyers at several recent overseas auctions.

The Sincona Auction held in Zurich, November 2021, was a watershed moment for collectors of Australian proof gold sovereigns and proof gold half sovereigns. Two veiled head proof sovereigns, 1898 and 1901, sold for an equivalent of $100,000 and $190,000, the latter a rarer Perth Mint striking. While some collectors shook their heads in disbelief, we were elated that the coins are now commanding the respect - and the prices - that they deserve.

The momentum continued at Heritage Auctions in April 2022 where an 1855 Proof Sovereign and 1856 Proof Sovereign sold for record auction prices. And again at Sincona in 2023.

Supreme proof quality.

In 1978 and again in 1981, Spink Auctions described this coin as brilliant and flawless. And so have we. This 1887 Proof Half Sovereign is a masterpiece of coining skills.

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

They can acquire coins that were struck for circulation: coins that were meant to be used. Or they can collect coins that were struck as presentation pieces to PROOF QUALITY.

The coin on offer is one such presentation piece, a Proof 1887 Half Sovereign struck at the Melbourne Mint.

That proof coins were struck in the nineteenth century may surprise some readers. But it has to be said that the striking of proof coins in Australia is not a modern day phenomenon. Nor a product of the decimal era. The nation’s mints were striking proofs of our pre-decimal coinage in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the intention was then, as it is today, to create limited mintage coins struck to the highest standards of quality.

Each option, circulating coinage or proof coinage, presents the buyer with a vastly different sized pool of specimens from which to choose.

General date (non-key date), average circulating gold sovereigns, are available in the thousands if not the tens of thousands. Once the collector sets parameters on quality and dates, 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 many months, if not years.

The task of acquiring gold proofs of our pre-decimal coinage is far more challenging. The pathway to proof coinage for buyers can involve many years, if not decades.

Rarity is the key word when discussing proof gold.

And it is a statement of fact that proof gold, irrespective of the sector, is extremely rare and buying opportunities will always be thin on the ground.

And the reasons?

• Proof gold coins were NOT struck every year.

• And of those dates that were struck as proofs, only one, or perhaps two up to a maximum of three made their way out into the collector market.

• Natural attrition has taken its toll on coins out of the original mintages with some of them filtering their way into circulation or being mishandled and thus having their quality marred. So suddenly one, two or three proofs becomes even less.

• Great coins tend to be held. The owner of the Madrid Collection held onto his gold proofs for more than twenty years. The Spalding family and collector Tom Hadley, of Quartermaster fame, held their proof coins for an even longer time-frame.

This Proof 1887 Half Sovereign is a golden opportunity and for just one buyer. No other proof half sovereigns of this date have appeared over the last century.

This 1887 Sovereign features the Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria. Presented in Brilliant Uncirculated with proof-like mirror surfaces. Under the glass, we observe the kiss-curl in front of the ear.

The mintmark 'M' rests at the base of the shield indicating that the sovereign was struck at the Melbourne Mint. Superb edges and proof-like mirror fields.

There are some key indicators that collectors look out for when making a numismatic purchase. And all of this is weighed up against the price.

The date is critical. The more important the date, the better. How rare is the coin for the rarer the better. And finally, what about its quality?

This Brilliant Uncirculated 1887 Sovereign has the lot!

An important date.

The Queen Victoria Young Head portrait appeared on Australia's sovereigns between 1871 and 1887. Likewise the Shield design, 1871 to 1887.

The importance of this coin is clear. It marks the end of the era that produced Australia's Young Head Shield Sovereigns.

It is an acknowledged fact that collectors prefer the first and last year of a series over and above all others. The first year and the last year are defining. Those in between are not.

How rare is the coin?

Throughout Australia’s history, upheavals and extraordinary events have impacted on mintages and created numismatic super-stars. Think 1930 Penny. Think 1920 Florin. And think 1887 Shield Sovereign.

The Melbourne Mint was awash with options in the striking of its sovereigns in 1887 with two reverse designs available to them, that of St George and the Dragon and the Shield. And two obverse designs depicting Queen Victoria, the Young Head portrait and the Jubilee portrait, introduced in mid-1887.

It was inevitable that amidst the chaos a numismatic super-star would emerge.

And it has in the form of this coin, the 1887 Sovereign featuring the Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria and the Shield reverse. it is one of the key dates of the series and a world class rarity.

History confirms the extreme rarity of the Melbourne Mint's 1887 Young Head Shield Sovereign (1887M).

Noble Numismatics is Australia’s largest Auction House holding three auctions annually each comprised of about 3000 lots.

Their auctions provide a plethora of invaluable information on prices realised and importantly, the frequency of sightings ... how often a coin can realistically be expected to appear on the market.

We note that:

• Only three Uncirculated 1887M Young Head Shield Sovereigns have been offered at Nobles over the last ten years!

• The most recent sale was in 2019 for $21,500. The pre-auction estimate was $12,500. And the coin on offer here is the finest and is far superior.

• Confirming the rarity of the 1887M across all quality levels, on average just one 1887 Melbourne Mint Young Head Shield Sovereign is offered at Nobles annually.

There is a 'wish-list' of key indicators that collectors look for in numismatic investment, they being rarity, widespread appeal and supreme proof quality. And this 1896 Proof Half Sovereign has the lot!

The coin is extremely rare.

This 1896 Proof Half Sovereign was acquired by private treaty in 1995 and made its first auction appearance in 2017. Only two other examples are known and both were offered at auction in the 1980s. One of the two re-appeared at auction in 1988: the other in 1998. Neither have been sighted since.

Such sporadic offerings reflect the rarity of Australia’s pre-decimal proof gold half sovereigns; an area of the Australian coin market that is acknowledged as its rarest and its most prestigious.

Widespread appeal.

Proof coins are prestigious. They inspire respect and admiration. Ask collectors why they pursue proof coins over circulating currency and the prestige of owning a proof coin is most likely at the top of their list. It's the euphoria that comes with owning something that very few other people can ever possess.

Proof coins are by definition, extremely rare and their scarcity is a natural draw card. In some respect, proof coin collectors are playing it smart because the inherent rarity of proof coinage provides a level of assurance that the market will never be inundated with examples, protecting their investment.

The rarity of Australia's proof sovereigns and half sovereigns is acknowledged worldwide and has instigated a strong reaction from buyers at several recent overseas auctions.

The Sincona Auction held in Zurich, November 2021, was a watershed moment for collectors of Australian proof gold sovereigns and proof gold half sovereigns. Two veiled head proof sovereigns, 1898 and 1901, sold for an equivalent of $100,000 and $190,000, the latter a rarer Perth Mint striking. While some collectors shook their heads in disbelief, we were elated that the coins are now commanding the respect - and the prices - that they deserve.

The momentum continued at Heritage Auctions in April 2022 where an 1855 and an 1856 proof sovereign, sold for record auction prices. And again in Zurich at the Sincona Auction in 2023.

Supreme proof quality.

In 2017, Noble Auctions described this coin as 'Gem Frosted Proof, FDC and excessively rare'. And so have we. This 1896 Proof Half Sovereign is a masterpiece of coining skills.

There are some key indicators that collectors look out for when making a numismatic purchase. And all of this is weighed up against the price.

How rare is the coin for the rarer the better. The date is critical. The more important the date, the better. And consideration will now be given to the effigy. George V? George VI or Elizabeth II? How popular is this area of the market. In a supply and demand market, popularity is important. And finally, what about its quality?

This pair of Proof 1956 Penny has the lot!

An important date. The second lowest mintage of the series.

For collectors, the year 1955 is a key date. And a rare date. It was the first year the Perth Mint kicked off a program to strike proofs in 'commercial quantities' and sell to collectors. Similar to what the Royal Australian Mint does today with its annual proof coining program. The mintage of the first year, 1955, was 301.

The second year of the series, 1956,  also comes in for an inordinate level of attention for it too is a rare date. The Perth Mint struck only 417 coins!

After two years the series really took off and mintages increased to around the 1000 level making the 1955 and 1956 coins the pick of the lot.

The coins were sold for a premium of two shillings above face value, the face value paid to Treasury and the premium went to the mint. Government placed only one restriction on the Perth Mint. They could only produce proof examples of those coins they were minting for circulation. For the Perth Mint that meant striking proof coppers only.

The series continued for another eight years, ceasing in 1963 just prior to decimal changeover.

An important effigy. The events of the past week, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, has highlighted the role of coinage in charting the course of history.

This Proof 1955 Penny and Proof 1955 Halfpenny were struck with the effigy of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Extremely rare. That the Perth Mint was permitted to strike 'commercial quantities' of proof coins may have some readers thinking 50,000? 10,000? Perhaps 5000?

The mintage of the Proof 1956 Penny was 417 coins only.

Natural attrition has taken it toll on the original mintage for the coins were not encased in fancy packaging but housed only in small cellophane holders and despatched to collectors in an envelope. Many of the coins have filtered their way into circulation. Others severely damaged through mishandling making an already small mintage even smaller.

Supreme proof quality. There is a perception amongst collectors new to the market that all proofs are created equal. And therefore should be valued the same. The notion is that because a coin is struck to proof quality it has to be good. Those perceptions are incorrect.

Evidence suggests that those proofs that made their way to the US market in the 1950s and 1960s were superior in quality to those released to the local market.

Correct handling and storage is also a critical issue to preserving the value of proof coins. And these coins have been brilliantly preserved.

In an article published in the Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia 2005, renowned numismatist Paul Holland contends that the Perth Mint proofs were created for unaided vision, the point here that a collector would not need an eye-glass to take in their beauty. Looking at this Proof 1956 Penny, you can only but agree!

He contends that the Perth Mint modeled their bronze proofs on the Royal Mint London’s 1951-PL proofs, for they, as a general rule, are stunning. Visually impactful. He also comments that the Perth Mint went the extra yards with their production and ground the rims by hand to ensure they were high and squared-off.

A popular series. The series of Perth Mint Proof Coins struck between 1955 and 1963 is an important series in our numismatic history: a catalyst for the introduction of the proof coining program introduced by the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra in 1966.

It also is an affordable one, making it one of the most popular collecting series in the Australian coin market.

That the Perth Mint is today a leading coin producer makes their pre-decimal proofs historical. But also vibrantly current. So the ‘Perth Mint’ message always remains strong, underpinning future interest.

And the fact that these coins bears the effigy of the late Queen, Elizabeth II, will be a huge boost to their popularity.

Australia’s gold coinage history began in 1855 with the introduction of the Sydney Mint design. It was a style that rejected the protocols of London, imparting a uniquely Australian flavour into the nation’s first official gold coinage.

For the first, and only time, the word AUSTRALIA appeared on the reverse of our sovereigns.

A young portrait of Queen Victoria appeared on the obverse with a braid in her hair. This design, known as the Type I design, appeared in only the years 1855 and 1856.

The Australian flavour of the nation’s gold coinage was strengthened in 1857 when the design was altered to incorporate a sprig of Australia’s native flower, the banksia, in the Queen’s hair. This is referred to as the Type II portrait design and it ran from 1857 until 1870 inclusive.

This 1861 Sydney Mint Sovereign features the Type II portrait design.

If we consider for a moment the Type II design (1857 – 1870) we see that year 1865 is a defining point. Those coins struck between 1857 and 1865 inclusive are extremely rare in choice quality. Those struck in 1866 and after, up until 1870, are relatively readily available, even in choice quality

Our experiences affirm this statement.

We can count on the fingers of two hands the number of Sydney Mint Sovereigns that we have sold that were struck between 1857 and 1865 and that were in Choice Uncirculated, a reflection of their extremely limited availability at this quality level. 

So what is a portrait set? And why would this coin make a good choice for a Portrait Set?

Answer. The quality.

A complete sovereign collection is comprised of nearly 200 coins and that’s overwhelming for even the most financial of collectors. And potentially frustrating given the time that it would take to complete. That’s why so many collectors take the short cut of completing a portrait set. The sense of completeness is definitely there. And the financial burden is substantially reduced.

The Australian Sovereign series ran from 1855 to 1931 and during this time eight different portraits were used, five of Queen Victoria, one of Edward VII and two of George V.

So a complete portrait set of Australian sovereigns involves only eight coins.

1. Queen Victoria Sydney Mint Type 1 (1855 – 1856)

2. Queen Victoria Sydney Mint Type 2 (1857 – 1870)

3. Queen Victoria Young Head (1871 – 1887)

4. Queen Victoria Jubilee (1887 – 1893)

5. Queen Victoria Veiled Head (1893 – 1901)

6. King Edward VII (1902 – 1910)

7. King George V Large Head (1911 – 1928)

8. King George V Small Head (1929 – 1931)

The acquisition of this 1861 Sovereign takes care of the Type II portrait design, crossing one element off the above list, in the superb quality level of Choice Uncirculated.