Catalog
25 Dollars - Leonard I - George Orwell - Essai Copper
| Issuer | Hutt River |
|---|---|
| Year | 1984 |
| Type | Local coin |
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| Obverse description | Plain copper field bearing the engraved signature of the artist 'A. SHAGIN' inscribed in cursive script across the upper portion of the field, accompanied by the individual serial number '13/1984' hand-engraved below, denoting this piece as number 13 from a limited edition of 1,984 examples. The surface is otherwise unadorned, with the inscription applied directly into the copper blank. |
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| Reverse description | A boldly modelled left-facing profile portrait of British author George Orwell rendered in a cubist-influenced, angular sculptural style, the figure depicted in a hooded garment and shown in a dynamic, forward-leaning posture with pen in hand. The background is composed of horizontal bands bearing the repeated date '1984' interspersed with small framed vignettes incorporating symbolic imagery, evoking the dystopian themes of Orwell's celebrated novel. The legend 'GEORGE ORWELL 1984' appears within the design, and the engraver's monogram and date are present in the lower exergual area. |
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| Additional information |
Hutt River Province was a self-declared micronation in Western Australia that broke from the Commonwealth in 1970 under Leonard Casley, who styled himself Prince Leonard I. This 1984 copper essai — a pattern strike produced for approval rather than circulation — was issued the same year Orwell's dystopian novel became a cultural flashpoint, the real-world 1984 having arrived and invited relentless comparison to the book's predictions. Whether the choice was pointed commentary or opportunistic commemorative timing is unclear, but Casley was not above either.