Lot 391

Description

Port Phillip, Kangaroo Office, official restrikes of the original 'Kangaroo Office' dies, consisting of eight uniface strikes of the obverse and reverse of the two ounce, one ounce, half ounce (reverse only), quarter ounce and advertising check (reverse only). As struck. (8)

The original dies were sold to Thomas Stokes in 1857. These in turn were donated to the National Gallery of Victoria in 1933, they were then transferred to the Science Museum of Victoria in 1976. Soon after its establishment the Royal Australian Mint produces these copper gilt restrikes from the original deteriorated "Kangaroo Office' dies (which were loaned to them from the National Gallery of Victoria in 1970) for presentation to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in pittsburgh, U.S.A. This set was aquired through Ray Jewell when the the Carnegie Museum decided to dispose of its numismatic collection. The original obverse die of the half ounce is still in the possession of Stokes (Australasia) Ltd. Ex Spink Auctions (Australia) Sale no. 9 (lot 1233)