Australian Proclamation Coins Contain British Coins

[Garrett 76]

Hi gang

Can't seem to find the thread now, but a couple of days ago a couple of members were talking about a 1797 penny at an Australian site.

If you are interested in George III coins, and surfing an Australian website, always check out the 'Proclamation Coins' section as well as any GB section.

In the early days of settlement, there was a problem with coins leaving the colony. One of the governors (King from memory) issued a proclamation revaluing certain coins at above face to try to retain them within the colony.

George III coins are in this group.

I think I know what website was being referred to the other day (Status International), and noticed there was a specimen or two in the proclamation coin section.

Anyway, most may probably know this....

So carry on !!!

Cheers

Garrett.

[Rob 3,246]

I already do this, but note that typical proclamation coins are typically cartwheel pennies and twopences, 1787 shillings and sixpences, 1799 coppers, together with a few of the 1806 coins. You also get non-British pieces from time to time. These are all extremely common and abundant in high grade in this country, so you tend not to find a lot of desirable material in this section of Australian auctions. Dumps and holey dollars are well known and documented, so instantly noted by the collecting fraternity. The only relatively common thing with any desirability that crops up on a regular basis is an 1827 penny, but then everyone looks for these.

Useful info would probably be the cut-off dates used by the various auction houses for what is considered to be a proclamation coin. i.e. at which point do they become 'British' at Noble, Downies, Status etc.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Rob

[Nicholas 51]

The first real Australian coin was the holey dollar and dump of 1813. Prior to this all coins were from other countries used in the early settler days of Australia- proclamation coins. A proclamation by the Governor of Australia on November 19th 1800 that PHILIP GIDLEY KING made was that the following were legal tender :

£ s. d.

A Guinea … … … 1 2 0

A Johanna … … … 4 0 0

A Half-Johanna … 2 0 0

A Ducat … … … 0 9 6

A Gold Mohur … … 1 17 6

A Pagoda … … … 0 8 0

A Spanish dollar … 0 5 0

A Rupee … … … 0 2 6

A Dutch guilder … 0 2 0

An English Shilling … 0 1 1

A Copper coin of One Ounce. 0 0 2

[Rob 3,246]

That's interesting. So the 2d wasn't legal tender and neither were the 1799 coppers. I see in the last Downies sale, lot 1807 was a Columbian 2 escudos - again based on the above list not legal tender. I presume that if it was legal tender elsewhere but not in Australia, it was still used as currency based on the fact that it had intrinsic value?

[Nicholas 51]

Yes, I guess so. It was probably a loose arrangement. There weren't many of us around then and probably would take just about anything we could get our convict hands on!

[Rob 3,246]

Yes, I guess so. It was probably a loose arrangement. There weren't many of us around then and probably would take just about anything we could get our convict hands on!

Surely that was their problem in the first place?

[Peter 615]

Looks like the convicts will steal our ashes.

They can also keep the spiders,snakes and crocs and 1827 1d's

I do like Kylie

[Accumulator 52]

I'm guessing that virtually all the George coins which found their way to Australia were currency. The previous thread was about proofs & patterns which, I imagine, rarely made it across the ocean. A good tip on where to find them in listings, though! An EF+ 1827 would be a nice find.