A VERY rare ‘holey dollar’, the iconic first coin to be minted in the colony of NSW, is expected to sell for more than $300,000 at auction in Sydney next week.
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The coin, one of the finest ever seen, was created on the orders of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1813 to ensure a reliable supply of money for the fast-growing colony.
With no mint to manufacture coins, the holey dollars were created by stamping the middle out of Spanish silver eight reale coins, known as ‘pieces of eight’. The middle, or “dump” became a secondary coin.
Macquarie thus distinguished them as belonging to the colony of New South Wales.
The Noble Numismatics auction will be held over four days and three nights from July 31 to August 3 at the Gallery Room, State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, Sydney
Noble’s managing director, Jim Noble, says the auction will also feature a stunning private collection of Australian pre-Federation and Commonwealth banknotes, and world banknotes, all listed in a separate catalogue and estimated to be worth in excess of $2 million (lots 4201-4470). There are many outstanding rarities in the collection including a five shillings note prepared in 1920 but never put into circulation (lot 4394, estimate $50,000, with only five known in private hands), a very important selection of private bank issues (lots 4201-4248, estimates $50-$35,000), rare superscribed issues of 1910 (ie overprinted private bank issues used by the Commonwealth of Australia prior to production of the first printed Commonwealth issues in 1913) and other rarities from 10 shillings through to 100 pounds.
The auction will also see hundreds of other rare items sold, all with their own unique and fascinating stories.
Also making the news:
AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
● Large number of Australian gold coins including rare sovereigns for 1920 Melbourne Mint (lot 506, estimate $10,000), 1922 Sydney Mint (lot 1073, estimate $25,000), and 1929 Melbourne Mint (lot 512, estimate $10,000).
● Aboriginal presentation breast plates named to King of Bumbarlo (lot 845, estimate $2500), Chief of the Ural Tribe (lot 846, estimate $1500), and King of Mungyer (lot 847, estimate $1000).
● An extremely rare pre-Federation Victorian Port Phillip Kangaroo Office gold quarter ounce (lot 1032, estimate $10,000).
● Rare Melbourne Mint first issue presentation four-coin set of 1916 silver coins (lot 1090, estimate $15,000).
● A large number of Australian Commonwealth silver coins and in particular some outstanding florins including issues for 1912 (lot 1118, estimate $8000), 1913 (lot 1119, estimate $9,000), 1914H (lot 1121, estimate $17,500), and 1915 (lot 1122, estimate $15,000).
● A good selection of Australian Commonwealth bronze coins and in particular three high quality rare 1930 pennies (lots 1282 and 1283 at $20,000 each, and lot 1284 estimated at $16,000).
● Great Britain George V gold and silver proof set of 1911 (lot 1319, estimate $15,000).
● Great Britain coinage for Oliver Cromwell including a rare, high quality crown of 1658 (lot 1352, estimate $10,000).
● A Great Britain Royal Society Queen’s Gold Medal awarded to Warren de la Rue in 1864 for his work in astronomical photography (lot 1499, estimate $15,000).
● A large range of ancient Greek and Roman coins including a portrait silver denarius of Julius Caesar issued in about 44BC (lot 1702, estimate $5000).
● A huge selection of world gold, silver and bronze coins, noted in particular a Republic of China, Kweichow Province silver automobile dollar of 1928 (lot 2007, estimate $5000), and a USA gold $20 (double eagle) of 1857 minted at San Francisco (lot 2771, estimate $5000).
● A selection of natural gold nuggets (lots 2887-2978, estimates $200-$8000).
● Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities and Asian artefacts, noted a gilt bronze Sino Tibetan Bodhisattva statue (lot 2988, estimate $15,000).
● A large selection of postage stamps including some rare early Australian Commonwealth Kangaroo issues (lot 3123, estimate $7000; lot 3125, estimate $8000; lot 3126, estimate $5000; and lot 3127, estimate $4000).
● The earliest known share certificate from Australia’s first bank, The Bank of New South Wales, for one hundred pounds, dated August 8, 1818, in the name of William Redfern in whose honour the Sydney suburb of Redfern is named (lot 3644, estimate $10,000).
Also making the news:
● Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840 with clasp Trafalgar (lot 4473, estimate $6500) and another with clasp Boat Service July 21 1801, only seven of these awarded (lot 4474, estimate $10,000).
● China War Medal 1900 Group to Commander Staunton William Spain whose family name is honoured in the naming of Spain’s Wharf Rd, Neutral Bay, and Kurraba Point on Sydney Harbour (lot 4579, estimate $9000).
● A WWI Distinguished Service Order Group to a fighting Camel Corps officer at the Battle of Tel el Khuweilfe (lot 4582, estimate $20,000).
● Australian Flying Corps medal group to a pilot, author and journalist, later managing editor of Australian United Press in Melbourne (lot 4585, estimate $2000).
● Important WWI bravery award groups for actions in Belgium and France (lots 4587-4590, estimates $3000 - $6500).
● Several important WWI medal groups for the Gallipoli Campaign including one group to a soldier killed at the Landing on April 25 1915 (lot 4600, estimate $3500), and others to Lighthorsemen killed in the legendary bayonet charge at The Nek, as depicted in the 1981 Australian movie Gallipoli staring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee (lots 4602 and 4605, estimate $4,500 each).
● A medal group to a member of the Police Anti-Hijacking committee in 1973 who was a recipient of a bravery award for saving a life in a Sydney Harbour rescue in 1946 (lot 4617, estimate $6500).
● Group of medals to the Commander of HMAS Yandra which attacked one of the Japanese midget submarines that had penetrated the defences in Sydney Harbour in May 1942 (lot 4621, estimate $4000).
● Very rare documents to a German sailor killed during HMAS Sydney/HSK Kormoran battle off Western Australia in 1941 and to others captured and placed in an Australian POW camp (lot 4685, estimate $13,000). After this battle the Sydney disappeared with all hands and was not located until the wreckage was found in 2008.
● A very large collection of Australian pre and post Federation military badges, accoutrements, and helmets (lots 4704-4842, estimates $50 - $7500).
● An important collection of hundreds of military and other services uniform buttons (lots 4843 – 4922, estimates $50 - $350).