In 2013 the Royal Australian Mint released a two coin year set
commemorating the impact that mining has had on Australia. This piece commemorates the initial discovery of gold which sparked
the Victorian gold-rush. The reverse was designed by A. Stokic and features
a man panning for gold along with the
legend
"DISCOVERY OF GOLD" and the denomination "1 DOLLAR". The obverse
houses the portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II with the
legend
"ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2013".
A grain of gold was discovered in 1851 in a waterhole near Bathurst in New South Wales. Six months later a further discovery
of gold was made in Ballarat and Bendigo in Victoria. These discoveries caused a massive influx of immigration with 370,000
arriving in Australia in 1852 alone. Despite the initial discovery occurring in New South Wales, the Victorian goldfields
proved more plentiful and the colony became extremely wealthy. The streets of Melbourne were constructed with the gold mined
in Bendigo and Ballarat.
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