1 Dollar - Elizabeth II 4th Portrait - 1852 Adelaide Assay Office

The Adelaide Assay Office operated for less than two years — 1852 to 1853 — before the Sydney and Melbourne mints rendered it obsolete. It was established under emergency conditions after the Victorian gold rush flooded South Australia with raw gold and no local facility existed to process it. The office's original pound coins, struck in genuine gold and never formally legal tender under British Imperial law, remain a foundational rarity in Australian numismatics.

This 2009 commemorative is part of the RAM's ongoing program marking Australia's colonial-era minting history. The gold-plated silver format mirrors the original's appearance without the bullion cost.