AUSTRALIAN "PROCLAMATION COINS" COMMEMORATIVE The folllowing paragraphs are a condensed version of the who, why and how a proclamation on prevailing circulating coins in colonial Australia came to become law. In 1800, like all fledgling colonies, the colony of New South Wales situated on the continent of Australia continually found itself wanting for coinage. Up until 1800 circulating coinage consisted of any coin of any metal issued by any country. To make matters worse, there was no fixed rate of exchange so just as fast as those coins entered circulation, they disappeared from circulation. In late 1800 that all changed. As payment for grain and animal food, the English Treasurer sent the cargo ship The Porpoise laden with four tons (550 English Pounds worth) of 1 ounce Copper Pennies. These were the thick edge cartwheel strikes minted by Matthew Boulton in 1787. The ship arrived at the warves of Sydney Cove late in 1800. The, then Govenor of New South Wales, PHILLIP GIDLEY KING, seized the occasion to ensure that the coins were not going to immediately be traded back out. Govenor King issued a Proclamation which effectively doubled the 1 ounce copper Penny's face value for use in the colony and placed sanctions on their import into or export out of the colony. He, also, took the opportunity to set specific values at which other silver and gold coins, circulating among the populous, were to trade. It's assumed these latter valuations fell in line with valuations stipulated by the English Treasury and provided for only a small premium above their nominal values. 11 coins originally appeared in the Proclamation: A Guinea... ... ... 1 Pound, 2 Shillings 0 Pence A Johanna… … … 4 Pounds 0 Shillings 0 Pence A Half Johanna… ... ... 2 Pounds 0 Shillings 0 Pence A Ducat… … … 0 Pounds 9 Shillings 6 Pence A Gold Mohur… … 1 Pound 17 Shillings 6 Pence A Pagoda… … … 0 Pounds 8 Shillings 0 Pence A Spanish Dollar… ... ... 0 Pounds 5 Shillings 0 Pence A Rupee… … … 0 Pounds 2 Shillings 6 Pence A Dutch Guilder… ... ... 0 Pounds 2 Shillings 0 Pence An English Shilling… ... ... 0 Pounds 1 Shilling 1 Pence A Copper Coin of One Ounce... ... ... 0 Pounds 0 Shillings 2 Pence A few hours after posting the list two more coins were hastily added; A Copper Coin of 1/2 Ounce (0,0,1) and an English Farthing(0,0,1/2). Here's a photo of the 1797 Cartwheel Cent courtesy of Tony Clayton via his website "Pictures of Coins of the UK: Scroll to third photo: http://www.ukcoinpics.co.uk/pen2.html Here's the photo of the 2000 dated Dollar commemorating the Proclamation Coins of Australia courtesy of eBay Catalog (click photo to enlarge): http://catalog.ebay.com/Australia-Dollar-2000-Proclamation-Coins-Australia-/78227690/r.html?_fcls=1 Ttthat's all folks... Clinker
To chip and randygeki: Thanks a bunch to both of you and here's a special poetic prayer to each of you: May the rest of your life Be an often repeated poem In the eternal memory Of God Clinker
