This piece reproduces the 1937 Australian crown — itself a coin that never circulated, struck in a single year as a coronation commemorative for George VI and then quietly shelved. The original 1937 crown was notorious for its limited distribution and the political awkwardness of issuing a large silver crown in a country that had effectively abandoned silver coinage for everyday use a decade earlier.
The 1998 reissue was part of the RAM's "Masterpiece in Silver" series, which reproduced historic Australian designs on high-purity blanks. The irony is that the replica now vastly outnumbers surviving originals in uncirculated condition.
This piece reproduces the 1937 Australian crown — itself a coin that never circulated, struck in a single year as a coronation commemorative for George VI and then quietly shelved. The original 1937 crown was notorious for its limited distribution and the political awkwardness of issuing a large silver crown in a country that had effectively abandoned silver coinage for everyday use a decade earlier.
The 1998 reissue was part of the RAM's "Masterpiece in Silver" series, which reproduced historic Australian designs on high-purity blanks. The irony is that the replica now vastly outnumbers surviving originals in uncirculated condition.