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Currency

Subject
Spanish (holey) dollar
The Mint
Spanish (holey) dollar
The Mint
Hunt, Robert Fellowes
Dump from the 1813 silver holey dollar
Dump from the 1813 silver holey dollar
Holey dollar, silver 1813
One pound promissory note from the Waterloo Warehouse c1830
Panoramic view of Infirmary and Mint, Macquarie Street, Sydney c1870
Postal note to Burwood resident 1947
Promissory note for one pound issued by Garnam Blaxcell, 29 January 1814
Reverse of the 1813 silver holey dollar
Sydney Branch, Royal Mint, Sydney 1872
Training for the new decimal currency - a display of giant coins at the Channel 10 studio in Sydney 1965
Robert Griffin on the history of the Mint building 2009

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Currency

Spanish (holey) dollar

Devised in 1810 to prevent the colony's currency from disappearing offshore, the holey dollar was Sydney's first really local coinage, remaining legal tender until 1829.

The Mint

Used as housing, offices and a dispensary between the 1820s and 1850s, the southern wing of the General Hospital was taken over as a branch of the Royal Mint after the gold rush, and opened in 1854. In 1926, the Mint moved to Canberra, and the building became government offices until the 1970s. It was later a museum and most recently has been the headquarters of the Historic Houses Trust.

Spanish (holey) dollar

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Coin made by punching out the middle of a Spanish silver dollar, which helped stabilise the early colonial economy.

The Mint

full record »

Building on Macquarie Street, originally part of Sydney Hospital and subsequently used as a mint.

Hunt, Robert Fellowes

Chemist who was appointed at the newly established Sydney branch of the Royal Mint in 1854 to direct melting and refining operations.

full record »

Dump from the 1813 silver holey dollar

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a128580 / R 277a-b]
(Mitchell Library)

Dump from the 1813 silver holey dollar

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a128579 / R 277a-b]
(Mitchell Library)

Holey dollar, silver 1813

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a128577 / R 277a-b]
(Mitchell Library)

One pound promissory note from the Waterloo Warehouse c1830

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[DN/P 585]
(Dixson Galleries)

Panoramic view of Infirmary and Mint, Macquarie Street, Sydney c1870

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a089321 / SPF/321]

Postal note to Burwood resident 1947

full record »
Contributed By
National Archives of Australia
[C4078, N2926E]

Promissory note for one pound issued by Garnam Blaxcell, 29 January 1814

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a6416001 / SAFE/DN/P 262]
(Sir William Dixson numismatic collection)

Reverse of the 1813 silver holey dollar

full record »
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a128578 / R 277a-b]
(Mitchell Library)

Sydney Branch, Royal Mint, Sydney 1872

full record »
By
Charles Percy Pickering
From the collections of the
State Library of New South Wales
[a1107020 / PXD 524, 18]

Training for the new decimal currency - a display of giant coins at the Channel 10 studio in Sydney 1965

full record »
By
William (Bill) Brindle
Contributed By
National Archives of Australia
[A1200, L52590]

Robert Griffin on the history of the Mint building 2009

full record »
By
Poppy Stockell
Courtesy:
City of Sydney Council

Economy