Timeline for Australian Coinage Following the Discovery of Gold in 1851
The discovery of gold in Australia in 1851 gave birth to a number of initiatives (two official, one unoffical) that were intended to address the need for a circulating coinage throughout the Australian colonies.
At present I am researching the role that WJ Taylor, and his Kangaroo Office at Port Phillip played in the history of Australia's coinage.
When I have researched the evolution of the Adelaide Assay Office and the Sydney Mint previously, I've found it very useful to chart significant events on a timeline - this has helped greatly to understand the path from the realization of a pressing need for coinage to an established and effective system of coinage. What follows below is a timeline of key events related to the Adelaide Assay Office, the Sydney Mint and the Kangaroo Office.
Planning For The Adelaide Assay Office, The Sydney Mint And The Kangaroo Office - Roughly At The Same Time
Planning for the Adelaide Assay Office, the Sydney Mint and the Kangaroo Office all took place over roughly the same period of time (mid 1851 through to the mid 1850's), an examination of the timing of events for these unrelated enterprises occurred in relation to each other is very productive. We can begin to see how quick private enterprise is in relation to a imperial bureaucracy and also to a team of committed colonial merchants and community leaders.
Although the information below has been available ever since the actual events took place, it is generally recorded in disparate sources that are largely inaccessible to the average collector. I'm still drawing conclusions on just how an overall view of the events related to Australia's gold rush coinage affects my own understanding of the relative merits of each of the three enterprises mentioned above, however I'm finding the exploration very productive.
Descriptions of Taylor's efforts regarding the Kangaroo Office by numismatic authors in recent years have largely been less than complimentary - he's variously described as a failure, incompetent and myopic. These interpretations I believe have been arrived at based on a limited understanding of the timing of the events concerned. Although this is less than acceptable in many ways, it's hardly surprising as there really is a dearth of published information on Taylor and the Kangaroo Office. I have a sneaking suspicion that once we look at the speed at which Taylor and his partners moved relative to the British Imperial authorities and those in Adelaide, and keep the amount of money involved with the Kangaroo Office in mind, Taylor's efforts will be viewed more positively.
There are still some gaps in this information that need to be filled in, so consider the information below as a work in progress. Any comments, feedback or questions are welcome.
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DATE |
EVENT |
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1802 |
William Joseph (WJ) Taylor is born |
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1809 |
Death of Matthew Boulton |
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1829 |
Taylor establishes himself in London |
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1847 |
Taylor produces the first coins of the Republic of Liberia |
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1848 |
Death of James Watt Junior |
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1850 |
The Soho Mint ceases business |
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April 1850 |
Plant and equipment from the defunct Soho Mint sold via an auction conducted by Fuller and Horsey Auctioneers. WJ Taylor purchases a range of hubs and dies, Ralph Heaton II acquires all of the Soho minting equipment, and establishes the Birmingham Mint. |
|
1850 |
Taylor & Challen, “coin press manufacturers”, established by WJ Taylor |
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1850 ~ 1860 |
Taylor struck a range of Washington Draped Bust copper tokens using dies produced from hubs purchased from the defunct Soho Mint, these with a plain edge1 |
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Feb 12th, 1851 |
E.H. Hargraves discovers gold at Lewis Ponds Creek in NSW |
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Apr 7th, 1851 |
J. Lister & W. Tom discover gold at Ophir in NSW |
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May 1st 1851 ~ Oct 15th 1851 |
Taylor exhibited the coining press and some of the Phillip Gold Pattern dies at the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace in London2. Sells the Kangaroo Office copper halfpenny / Washington draped bust mule token to visitors3 |
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May 15th, 1851 |
The Sydney Morning Herald publishes the first news of Hargraves' discovery |
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June 7th, 1851 |
The discovery of gold at Clunes, Victoria by J. Esmond is announced |
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Aug 8th, 1851 |
Gold discovered in the Buninyong Range (near Ballarat) in Victoria |
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August 25th, 1851 |
First published proposal for a Mint at Sydneyi |
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November, 1851 |
Debate in NSW Legislative Council re Establishment of a Mint at Sydneyii |
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January 9th 1852 |
1st proposal for the establishment of an Assay Office in Adelaide put to Lieutenant Governor Sir Henry Young |
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January 16th 1852 |
Young makes his first reply to the merchants & bankers regarding the initial Adelaide assay office proposal |
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January 16, 1852 |
NSW Legislative Council petition for a Mint at Sydney forwarded by Governor Sir Charles August Fitzroy to Londoniii |
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January 22nd 1852 |
Young discusses 2nd Assay Office proposal with Executive Council |
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January 23rd 1852 |
George Francis (Assayer) notifies Young that it would not be possible to produce ingots of a uniform standard by casting, and that the only method by which this could be achieved was by rolling or laminating the metal |
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January 28th 1852 |
The Bullion Act passed by Legislative Council, assented to by Lieutenant Governor Sir Henry Young |
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January 29th 1852 |
London notified of the Bullion Act via Despatch #28 |
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January 31st 1852 |
1st trip to Mt Alexander departs from Adelaide |
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February 10th 1852 |
Adelaide Assay Office opened for business – gold to the value of ?10,000 deposited (2,910 troy ounces) |
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February 20, 1852 |
Tacit approval given to Sydney Mint given by Secretary of State for Colonies, (The 3rd) Earl Henry Grey. |
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March 4th 1852 |
1st Adelaide ingots produced |
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March 19th 1852 |
Mt Alexander party returns with gold valued at ?21,300 |
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01/03/52 |
Die sinker and engraver Joshua Pain appointed to prepare dies for the Adelaide Pounds |
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July 2nd, 1852 |
NSW Executive Council embraces concept of Sydney Mintiv. |
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August 28th, 1852 |
NSW Legislative Council drafts resolutions in favour of a mint at Sydneyv. |
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September 23rd 1852 |
1st Adelaide Pounds struck at the Adelaide Assay Office |
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01/10/52 |
Adelaide & Media arrive in Adelaide with ?30,000 in specie |
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01/10/52 |
Legislative Council appeals to London for the establishment of a branch of the Royal Mint in Adelaide |
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October 16th 1852 |
Official response to Despatch #28 sent from London |
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November 3rd 1852 |
Sydney reaches Adelaide with a load of specie |
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November 1852 |
Conception date according to Scaiffe, as quoted by Andrews4 |
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November 1852 |
Departure date of the Kangaroo from England, according to Forrer (in turn on Bousfield)5 |
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November 23rd 1852 |
Bullion Act amended to permit the striking of legal tender coins |
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November 25th 1852 |
Last ingots delivered to the banks |
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November 26th 1852 |
600 ?1 pieces supplied to the South Australian Banking Company |
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November 26th 1852 |
100 Adelaide Pounds sent to London, 32 to the Royal Mint |
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December 2nd 1852 |
London notified of the 2nd Bullion Act via Despatch #85, and that no reply had been received to notification of Bullion Act #1 being passed |
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December 9th 1852 |
?40,000 in specie arrived in Adelaide aboard the Cleopatra |
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February 3rd 1853 |
Bullion Act revoked |
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February 13th 1853 |
Last Adelaide Pounds produced |
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February 17th 1853 |
Adelaide Assay Office closed |
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March 17th 1853 |
London notified of the working (cessation?) of the 2nd Bullion Act via Despatch # 22 |
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March 22nd, 1853 |
British Treasury Minute issued, first formal approval of Mint established at Sydneyvi. |
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April 4th 1853 |
London advised via Despatch # that no reply had been received to notification of Bullion Act #1 |
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April 11th, 1853 |
Initial selections of staff to assist in the establishment of the Sydney Mint madevii. |
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May 4th 1853 |
1st official reaction to the initial Bullion Act arrives in Adelaide |
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May 16th 1853 |
Young advises London via Despatch #2 that “the subject of forming a gold currency was under consideration of the local government, and the project was abandoned…” |
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April 5th 1853 |
Public dinner held, to reward George Tinline for his efforts in pressing for the establishment of the Adelaide Assay Office. Tinline is presented with The Tinline Salver (a specially crafted “platter”) as well as ?2,500 sterling. |
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May 7th 1853 |
Assay Office property sold |
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June 26th, 1853 |
Departure of Kangaroo from London, bound for Australia6 |
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Oct 23rd 1853 |
Taylor arrives in Victoria, unable to unload the press from the ship |
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May 1854 |
Taylor's Kangaroo Office opens for business in Melbourne |
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August 19th, 1853 |
Order in Council formally establishes the Sydnet Mintviii. |
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September 9th, 1853 |
Approval given for purchase of machinery & equipmentix. |
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October 1854 |
Legislation declares Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tender in NSW |
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Oct 17th 1854 ~ Nov 17th 1854 |
Seeking to solicit business producing copper trade tokens, Taylor displays a complete set of the Kangaroo Office gold patterns and the press used to strike them at the Melbourne Exhibition. |
|
October 19th, 1853 |
Approval given for staff to depart for Sydneyx. |
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October 18th, 1854 |
Order in Council declares that Sydney Mint sovereigns should pass current as legal tender in Australian colonies and New Zealand (on such date as it was proclaimed in each colony)xi. |
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1854 |
Tasmania proclaims Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tenderxii. |
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Late 1854 ~ May 1855 |
Reginald Scaife (Manager of the Kangaroo Office) “admits to failure”, begins to produce military buttons with the Kangaroo Office press |
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May 14th 1855 |
Sydney Mint opens for deposits |
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June 23rd, 1855 |
First sovereigns issued by the Sydney Mintxiii. |
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June 26th, 1855 |
Publication in New Zealand Government Gazette of proclamation declaring Sydney Mint sovereigns legal tender in New Zealandxiv. |
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July 18th, 1855 |
Legislative Act regulating NSW currency passed.xv |
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May 14th, 1855 |
Sydney Mint opens to receive gold depositsxvi. |
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1856 |
West Australia proclaims Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tenderxvii. |
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January 3rd, 1857 |
British Treasury rejects an application by the NSW Legislative Council for Sydney Mint soveriegns to be current throughout the British Empirexviii. |
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July 21st, 1857 |
Victorian Governor issues a proclamation declaring Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tenderxix. |
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July 30th, 1857 |
Proclamation issued in South Australia declaring Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tenderxx. |
|
1857 |
Decision made to close the Kangaroo Office – some plant was returned to Britain, “certain machinery and dies” were sold to Thomas Stokes & Son. Taylor gave orders to destroy the Kangaroo Office dies, but these were presumably not carried out |
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July 1857 |
Sydney Mint sovereigns declared legal tender in Victoria |
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August 27th, 1857 |
Victorian Legislative Council passes act declaring Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tenderxxi. |
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September 9th, 1857 |
Victorian Legislative Council passes act exempting Sydney Mint sovereigns from duty within Victoriaxxii. |
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May 15th 1860 |
Report on the Sydney Mint tabled in the House of Commons, covered also the possibility of the establishment of a Mint at Melbourne |
|
1860 ~ |
Taylor struck a range of Washington Draped Bust copper tokens using dies produced from hubs purchased from the defunct Soho Mint, these with an “ornamented” edge7 |
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May 1st 1862 ~ Nov 1st 1862 |
Second International Industrial Exposition held in London |
|
1862 |
Mr William Morgan Brown (Assistant Manager of the Kangaroo Office) sells a set of Kangaroo Office gold tokens to the British Museum |
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July 17th 1862 |
Report from the Select Committee on the Sydney Branch Mint presented to the House of Commons |
|
1862 ~ 1880 |
Taylor struck proofs and a range of restrike varieties of the Washington Draped Bust tokens in gold, silver, copper, aluminum, gilt and pewter. Minor variants and mules are known among them |
|
1864 |
The Assistant Manager appointed to run the Kangaroo Office, William Morgan Brown, told a member of the Royal Numismatic Society, W.S.W. Vaux, that 27 sets of tokens were struck, but that all but one set had been melted down8. |
|
February 3rd, 1866 |
Act passed in Britain proclaiming Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tender within the United Kingdomxxiii. |
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August, 1866 |
Act passed in Britain proclaiming Sydney Mint sovereigns to be legal tender throughout the British Empire (with the exception of India and Canada)xxiv. |
|
1871 |
Young Head portrait of Queen Victoria introduced |
|
1871 |
Shield reverse & St George reverse designs replace Sydney Mint reverse designs |
|
1872 |
Melbourne Mint opens |
|
1898 |
1854/3 2oz Kangaroo Office token struck in gold for JG Murdoch. Were other tokens also struck? If so, which ones? By whom? With what dies? |
|
1903 |
One, Half, and Quarter Ounce Kangaroo Office tokens were sold in the Montague Colonial Auction at Sotheby's. |
|
1903 |
One, Half, and Quarter Ounce Kangaroo Office tokens were sold in the Murdoch sale by Sotheby's. This sale also included some fresh Two Ounce pieces (2 * 1853 in gold; 2 * 1854 – 1 in Gold, 1 in copper). These were reported at the time as being undoubtedly all “recent strikings” - the gold having been alloyed with copper rather than silver. |
|
1914 |
Stokes & Son cease using the Kangaroo Office press |
|
1936 |
Stokes & Son dismantle the ex Kangaroo Office press and sell it for scrap |
|
Feb 24- 28 & Mar 3-7, 1954 |
Palace Collection of Egypt (Farouk Collection) sold by Sotheby's and Co, included in it was an 1854/3 2oz in gold. |
1Breen, Walter; source unknown
2Source?
3http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/ColCoinIntros/WashDRAPED.intro.html
4Andrews, p124
5Forre
