Mintage:18,312 Reverse Designer:Vladimir Gottwald and Wojciech PietranikObverse Designer:Raphael MakloufSize:39mmWeight:35.79gEdge:ReededComposition:92.5% Silver 7.5% Copper
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This $5 dollar silver
proof
coin bears the image of John McDouall Stuart and is one coin out of a 5 piece set. The Explorers is the title of one
of the Masterpieces in Silver
proof
coin sets, which was released in two parts in 1993 and 1994. Each of the two parts contains five coins, which commemorate
the explorations done throughout Australia by various explorers. The other 9 coins that make up the complete set each feature
the image of one important explorer, with the exception of one which bears the faces of three men Lawson, Blaxland and Wentworth.
This coin commemorating John McDouall Stuart is taken from the second half of the 'The Explorers' set released in 1994,
from which the remaining four coins commemorate the explorations carried out by Leichhardtt, Sturt, Forrest and Mawson. The
five coins that make up the first half, released in 1993 commemorate explorers Lawson, Wentworth and Blaxland, Cook, Tasman,
Flinders and of course the original explorers of the continent, the Aborigines. The
reverse of this coin bears the portrait of John McDouall Stuart, explorer of inland Australia, and his portrait
is slightly overlapping a map of the continent depicting the area he covered. The
reverse was designed by Vladimir Gottwald and has the
legend
NT and SA within the map and the name John McDouall Stuart as well as 5 DOLLARS written underneath. The
obverse features the traditional effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Raphael Maklouf and the
legend
ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 1994. The packaging, in which this first half of the set was presented was a simple black box
with the text 1994 MASTERPIECES IN SILVER written in block silver letters at the top centre and a logo representing The Explorers.
A certificate of authenticity was included within the box which describes the coins and their designers as well as some text
which reads:
mintage
The inland explorations carried out by McDouall Stuart during the mid-19th century were some of the most significant and
influential of all of the explorers of Australia and his achievements are still highly evident today. He began his work under
the famous explorer Captain Charles Sturt and they were on an expedition together that led to the discovery of the Sturt
Stony Desert and the Simpson Desert, during which both men became seriously sick with scurvy. Later on Stuart began to lead
his own teams, early on simply to survey new land for grazing but later with a government incentive he gained an interest
in exploring inland from one end to the other. The invention of the telegraph meant the Australian government was looking
for a suitable route and as no one had yet made it across the centre, this would prove difficult. The terrain was deadly
and at times local aborigines were hostile towards them but after 6 exhibitions the Australian Overland Telegraph was able
to be built as well as route from Port Augusta to Darwin, now known as the Stuart Highway.
(Wikipedia, 2013)
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