For the first time, The Perth Mint will showcase three of Australia’s most sought after and desired rare coins – a 1930 Penny, an 1852 Adelaide Pound Type I, and an 1852 Adelaide Pound Type II.
These incredible rarities are collectively valued at close to a quarter of a million dollars, making them prized pieces of Australian numismatic history. All three coins are available for purchase and will be on display at The Perth Mint Shop for a limited time from 3 October until 27 November.
Perth Mint Group Manager Minted Products Neil Vance said, “Each of the three coins is prized by investors and collectors as they are seldom seen on the market. It is a real privilege to showcase these incredible treasures and we encourage visitors and local residents to come into The Perth Mint to see these remarkable artefacts.”
The 1930 Penny is Australia’s most renowned rare coin. Fascination with this copper coin stems from the mystery surrounding its accidental minting. The Melbourne Mint’s records report that the coin was never struck for circulation. It was not until the 1940s that the accidental minting of the 1930 Penny was discovered, with the mintage estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000.
By the 1960s the public discovery of ‘the coin that never was’ had whipped the nation into a frenzy, capturing the imagination of investors, collectors and the average Joe as they rushed to get their hands on these elusive coins at rapidly escalating prices.
Providing a unique link to Australia’s first 19th-century gold rush, the 1852 Adelaide Pound was Australia’s very first (unofficial) gold coin. The coin was struck by the province of South Australia at the Government Assay Office in Adelaide, to alleviate the currency crisis caused by the gold rush, as thousands of men flocked to the goldfields taking with them almost all the sovereigns in circulation and leaving the colony on the cusp of financial ruin.
Approximately 40 of the 1852 Adelaide Pound Type I coins were struck before it was discovered that the die had failed and had to be replaced. These coins are distinguished by the die-crack to the left of the letters ‘DWT’ on the reverse, and the presence of inner beading rather than crenulations. Only 30 to 40 Type I coins are believed to remain in existence today.
After the discovery of the Type I failed die a new reverse die was produced and the 1852 Adelaide Pound Type II was born. The overall mintage was around 25,000; however, when the gold value of the coins rose above the face value, the vast majority of the mintage was exported to London by profiteers and melted down. As a result, it is thought that only approximately 200 of these Type II coins remain today.
The 1930 Penny available at The Perth Mint is slabbed and graded AU50 good Extremely Fine and is priced at $130,000 AUS. The 1852 Adelaide Pound Type I is graded good Very Fine and holds the RRP of $97,500. The 1852 Adelaide Pound Type II is graded Very Fine and is for sale at the RRP of $20,000.
The 1930 Penny, the 1852 Adelaide Pound Type I and the 1852 Adelaide Pound Type II are available to view and purchase from The Perth Mint Shop at The Perth Mint, 310 Hay Street in East Perth. For further information visit our perthmint.com.au, phone +61 8 9421 7376 or email [email protected].
In addition to these three rarities, The Perth Mint will also have on display the Queen Victoria 1899 Sovereign, the first sovereign minted at The Perth Mint; a King George V 1921 One Penny; and the Roth Family Holey Dollar valued at $225,000 and currently on loan from Sterling & Currency.
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