? Following the discovery of gold in Sydney, sovereigns were minted at the Sydney Mint from 1855 and continued until 1916. Prior to the discovery of gold, Australian colonies were reliant upon coins minted in Great Britain as these were the only coins recognised as having legal tender status . The 1850s Gold Rush affected not only the mintage of coins but also sudden population growth, particularly in Victoria. In turn, this demanded sudden developments in government administration ...
? The Sydney mint reverted to the Imperial St George and Shield designs in 1871 with the Shield design intended for export to other colonies. The first St George design depicts Pistrucci's St George slaying the dragon with his designer's initials B.P. in large characters on the right below the exergue. The design would only last for half a year with the Sydney mint switching to a small B.P. design later in the year making the large BP scarce. Large BP ...
? The reverse ram design continued into this type right up until the introduction of decimal currency with the conclusion of the shilling series in 1963. This type features a slightly reworded obverse legend, ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F:D , due to the public outcry that the previous type omitted FIDEI DEF .Several mint rolls have appeared from all dates in the 1960s, a few 1959 rolls, and a substantial hoard of 1957 shillings has turned up . All other dates are quite ...
? This five Dollar Hologram Silver proof coin was issued as a commemorative piece in order to celebrate the volunteers of Australia. It was released in 2003 and is known as the Finale coin after a year of commemorative coins issued by the Royal Australian Mint each paying tribute to Australia's volunteers and the influence they have had on Australia's progression and development as a nation. The coin was Australia's third hologram coin in a series of three, which ...
? The 1918 Florin was the third year that Florins had been produced at the Melbourne Mint. The total mintage for the year was 2,095,000 which was relatively typical for the series. Finding the coin in mint-state is a difficult task with PCGS population reports showing limited numbers with MS65 the maximum and the majority of mint-state pieces hovering around MS62. Collectors seeking a mint-state example from this era may find that the 1916-M is a more affordable and easily sourced ...