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Australia HMAS Sydney II

2000 Proof Silver One Dollar

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HMAS Sydney II, as its title suggests, is the second ship in the Australian Navy to bear this name. The name itself is the most famous amongst naval ships of Australia. The original HMAS Sydney was a versatile cruiser that had served in the Pacific during the first world war. She had been successful during her active service famously sinking the SMS Emden and Buresk from Germany. She had even had an encounter with a German Zeppelin but both of them ran out of appropriate ammunition to continue the battle with neither being badly damaged. She was sent to Cockatoo Island to be scrapped in 1929 (Royal Australian Navy, 2014) .

Originally to be named HMS Phaeton, the light cruiser was re-named HMAS Sydney II in memory of the original. Her combat duties started with the Abyssinian crisis and continued with the British Fleet in World War Two.She went into combat against the Italian Fleet in the Battle of Calabria without sustaining damage. She continued the success throughout her years of service with an illustrious list of achievements. On her return to her namesake city on the 10th February 1941, she received a hero's welcome and a public holiday was granted to the children to allow them people to celebrate.

The Royal Australian Mint celebrated it by releasing this one dollar commemorative in cupro-nickel. In total, the Royal Australian mint produced 3 commemorative mintmark dollar coins in the year 2000, one commemorating the HMAS Sydney II, one commemorating the centenary of the first awarding of the Victoria Cross and the other commemorating the 27th Olympics in Sydney. The HMAS Sydney II commemorative was struck bearing the S and C mintmark s (Royal Australian Navy, 2013)

Canberra (C) mint-mark on 2000-C (HMAS Sydney II) one dollar piece.