Lot 1259

Description

New South Wales, five shillings or holey dollar, 1813, struck on a Charles IIII 1794 Mexico City Mint eight reales, dies B/4:II/4 (Spalding 51; Mira-Noble 1794/4). Attractive gun metal grey toning, well struck countermark, good very fine and very rare, an exceptionally attractive holey dollar.

Ex Fonrobert Collection (Adolph Weyl 1878, lot 97); M Othon Leonardos Collection (Jacques Schulman, 24-5 January 1929 (lot 1085); Edward Wills Collection (G.K.Gray Sale, Sydney 8 May 1968, lot 170) and P. Spalding Collection. The Fonrobert specimen is the first identifiable commercial public sale of a holey dollar known, it realised 22 marks. Edward Wills retained this example indicating it was his favourite or best having disposed of all he obtained from Dr, Abbotts sale held in 1943.