Marina Bay Skyline 26.5.2013

The skyline of Singapore is nicely and seamlessly shaping up with the development of the Marina Bay to further support Singapore's continuing growth as a major business and financial hub in Asia.

Marina Bay has become the centrepiece of Singapore as a global city-state of the 21st century. It is alss a 24/7, thriving and energetic place where people live, work and play. It has ushered in a new concept of city living that embraces all the opportunities and activities that a city can offer.

The mini stamp sheet on the cover consists of 4 stamps - each depicts an iconic landmark, such as The Fullerton Hotel, The Singapore Flyer, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and Marina Bay Sands which form part of the Marina Bay Skyline.

1983 EUROPA CEPT - Historic Events - Notker of Saint Gall 7.3.1983

The theme for CEPT stamps in 1983 was "Historic Events". Liechtenstein decided to honour Notker the Stammerer (Notker Balbulus) ( 840 – 6 April 912), Also called Notker I, Notker the Poet or Notker of Saint Gall, was a musician, author, poet, and Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Saint Gall in modern Switzerland. He is commonly accepted to be the "Monk of Saint Gall" (Monachus Sangallensis) who wrote De Carolo Magno, a book of anecdotes about the Emperor Charlemagne.

Notker was born around 840, to a distinguished family. He would seem to have been born in the modern canton of Saint Gall in Switzerland.  He became a monk there and is mentioned as librarian in 890 and as master of guests in 892–4. He was chiefly active as a teacher, and displayed refinement of taste as poet and author. 

He completed Erchanbert's chronicle, arranged a martyrology, composed a metrical biography of Saint Gall, and authored other works.  

Thank you Merja.

Rotary International Pacific Regional Conference 26.11.1981

Rotary Pacific Conference was held at the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, between 26 and 29 November 1981.

More than 5,000 Rotarians from around the Pacific attended the conference in Melbourne to discuss 'The Future of the Pacific Region'. Speakers included the Honourable Malcolm Fraser, Rotary International President Stan McCaffrey, President Elect Horoji Mukasa, Ranald McDonald, representing the media, Sir Ian McLennon, representing industry, Japanese former Ambassador Nobuhiko Ushiba and Philippines Deputy Consul General Mrs Minerva Falcon, both representing diplomatic services, as well as other Rotarians.

Thank you Maria.

AMPHILEX 77

Anniversary stamps of 1923 HM Queen Wilhlmina on the 
mini sheet on the FDC commemorating the International stamp exhibition AMPHILEX ' 77 of 26 May-5 June 1977 in Amsterdam.

Thank you Maria.

Singapore 17.6.2013 - Greetings

Greetings are part of our everyday life. Everyone greets whenever they meet a stranger or when expressing their friendliness. It is a gesture of good will, warm regards and wishes to one another. Even the deaf have their own forms of greetings for each other. In this stamp issue, SingPost is featuring 5 different greetings in sign language that are commonly used among the deaf community in Singapore - Hi, Welcome, Thanks, Good Bye and I Love You.

Greetings with Sign Languages stamp issue aims to create greater awareness of the deaf community in our midst, and at the same time, allows everyone to learn how to communicate with the deaf community with simple greetings in sign languages. SingPost hopes this stamp issue will bring cheer to you as you learn the greetings in sign languages!

Spain 8.10.1980 - ESPAMER-80

The King of Spain, Don Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, declared open on 8.10.1980, at the Palacio de Cristal de la Casa de Campo the most important philatelic exhibition that has been organized so far in Spain, called Espamer 80, where the elite meet Stamp collectors from America and Europe, responding to the motto Spain, bridge between two cultures of America and Europe..

 At the exhibition, which will be the culmination of the four others of this kind that have been held so far, involved, Spain, and twenty European and American countries. Over a hundred million pesetas was the budget for this sample, whose preparation took one year. Government support has been instrumental, through an organizing committee chaired by the Minister of Transport and Communications. The main objectives of the exhibition were designed to serve the promotion of philately in the participating countries and strengthen the bonds of friendship and fellowship.

As is usual in this type of exhibitions, a series of commemorative postage stamps were issued on this occasion a leaf block of four stamps further comprising two bullets, no postal value, with the emblem of the exhibition.

Thank you Maria.

Spain 28thJune to 6th July 1980 - EXFILNA-80

This beautiful stamp, cover and the very artistic post mark were issued to commemorate the Philatelic Exhibition EXFILNA-80, on Stamp Day in Barcelona from 28^th June to 6^th July 1980.

Thank you Maria.

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) 9.5.1977

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.

The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions". It was one of the earliest attempts by trade unions to apply the principles of One Big Union earlier explored by more radical syndicalist unions like the CNT or revolutionary industrial unions like the IWW.

In the Australian case, agitation for One Big Union occurred from 1911 from two different sectors: from the revolutionary Australian section of the IWW and from the pro-arbitration Australian Workers Union (AWU). At that time the AWU was the largest single Australian union. In 1918 after the collapse of the Australian IWW, a group of militant trade unions (which were opposed to the AWU) attempted to form One Big Union under the name Workers Industrial Union of Australia (WIUA). The hostility between the WIUA and the AWU prevented the formation of One Big Union in Australia. It was the attempts of Stanley Bruce's federal government in 1927 to dismantle the Australian Industrial Relations Commission which impelled the Australian trade unions to form a national council.

Melbourne Trades Hall in Victoria is the "birthplace" of the ACTU.

The ACTU's Australian trade union "peak body" precursors include state labour councils like the Victorian Trades Hall Council (originating in 1856 as the 'Melbourne Trades Hall Committee'), the Labour Council of New South Wales (originally formed in 1870 as the 'Sydney Trades and Labour Council') and the Inter-Colonial Trade Union Congress (formed in 1879).

The ACTU has not achieved the ideals expressed for One Big Union: it remains a council organisation, but it does however represent the majority of Australian trade unions. At its formation in 1927 the ACTU was only seen as representing blue collar trades unions, and only managed to achieve the support of trades unions. From 1948 peak bodies of white collar associations existed, and from 1969 peak bodies of government employees. The white collar bodies were: the Council of Professional and Commercial Employees Association (1948), which became the Council of White Collar Associations (1954), which amalgamated with the Salaried Employees Consultative Council of New South Wales (1954) to become the Australian Council of Salaried and Professional Associations(ACSPA) in 1956. The government employee bodies were: the Council of Commonwealth Public Service Organisations (1969) which became the Council of Australian Government Employee Organisations (CAGEO) in 1975. The ACTU successfully integrated these bodies in 1981. After 1981 the ACTU was generally viewed by the Australian media and public as the organisation representing all workers' organisations.

Singapore 13.7.2013 - City in a Garden

13 July 2013, Singapore - At the opening of the Festival of Biodiversity at VivoCity President Tony Tan Keng Yam launched a new book showcasing Singapore's development into a City in a Garden, and a special set of biodegradable stamps affixed with seeds to commemorate 50 Years of Greening Singapore. A new National Parks Board's (NParks) initiative, Greening Schools for Biodiversity, was also launched. This initiative enables schools to assess and enrich the biodiversity in their school compounds. The Festival of Biodiversity, organised jointly by NParks and the Biodiversity Roundtable, is an annual celebration of the community's efforts to conserve Singapore's natural heritage.

President Tony Tan said, "Singapore has come far in balancing biodiversity conservation and urban development. The garden environment and green spaces contribute to an enjoyable and livable environment in which Singaporeans can live, work and play. These are the results of deliberate and sustained efforts that began 50 years ago. I am heartened to see that many Singaporeans are taking ownership of our City in a Garden vision, and helping to conserve Singapore's natural heritage for the benefit of future generations."

For the first time, Singapore Post Limited has released a special set of four biodegradable Commemorative Stamps with seeds. Titled Our City in a Garden, the beautifully illustrated stamps comprising 1st local, S$0.50, S$0.80 and S$1.10, portray Singapore's vibrant urban landscape nestled within a thriving garden.

The 1st local stamp is affixed with the seeds of the Portulaca grandiflora (commonly known as moss-rose) for planting. A small-sized herbaceous creeper, the Portulaca grandiflora is a common sight in Singapore.

Conservation 15.5.1985

Skiing 6.6.1984

50th Anniversary of Opening of Parliament House 13.4.1977

This stamp and the first day cover were issued on 13.4.1977 commemorating the 50th annniversary of Parliament House, Canberra, in 1977. Now know as Old Parliament House, it is situated between Parliament House and Lake Burley Griffin. Although initially built as a temporary parliament house, government stayed there from 1927 right until 1988, when a new Parliament House opened.

Thank you Maria.

Singapore 5.8.2013 - 48th year of independence

A set of five commemorative postal stamps were released on 5.8.2013 to mark Singapore’s 48th year of independence.

Singapore Post said the stamps will showcase examples of what Singaporeans have shared, overcome and achieved together. This series is the first of three special stamp sets that SingPost is launching in as many years in the lead up to Singapore’s golden jubilee in 2015.

The subjects featured in this year’s series include “Beating SARS Together”, “Cleaning and Greening Our City”, “Conquering Our Water Challenges” and “Living Together in Harmony”. The stamps have surface values of 1st local mail, 50 cents, 65 cents, 80 cents and S$ 1.10.

Marine Life 20.3.1985

Australia 7.11.1984 - The Bicentenial Symbol

Denmark 18.11.1976 – Glass Blowing - Danish Socialist Realism

The stamp on this FDC is one of a set of four stamps on Glass Blowing in Denmark.  Four different stages of the glass production at Holmegaard Glassworks. Design by Helle Jessen, and engraved by Cz. Slania.

Although the Danish Socialist Realism was never dictated by the government, there is no doubt that some of the Danish Socialist Realist artists were communists, and certainly approved the Soviet ideology in all its facets -- which is easy to do when one is not forced to, but has the artistic freedom of expression.  This is probably why the Socialist Realism in arts was to some degree maintained up to the 1970s by artists like Folmer Bendtsen (1907-1993, not represented on stamps) and his contemporaries.

The most blatant philatelic example I can think of in this style is in the set of stamps issued in 1976, showing glass blowers in various stages of their work, and idealizing the so-called society of workers and peasants.  

With the disintegration of the Communist Bloc in the late 1980s, Socialist Realism fell out of favour and instead began to be used ironically in some works as a means of attacking the old Communist system. 

Thank you Maria.

Singapore 23.8.2013 - Singapore World Stamp Exhibition 2015

SINGAPORE 2015 will be the 3rd World Stamp Exhibition to be held in Singapore from 14th to the 19th August 2015. It is to be held in conjunction with Singapore's 50th Year of Independence, with the full support and patronage of the Federation lnternationale de Philatelie (FIP) and under the auspices of the Federation of Inter-Asian Philately (FIAP).

Singapore last hosted the World Stamp Exhibition in 1995 and the inaugural World Stamp Championship in 2004. Gathering the experience of both exhibitions and with effort to commemorate Singapore's Golden Jubilee in 2015, Singapore managed to bid for the hosting rights of this event successfully. Singpex Pte Ltd is the appointed organiser for this event.

Highlights of the 2015 exhibition will be:

• Displays from the archives of the Singapore Philatelic Museum.
• Exhibits from distinguished collections showing the development of Singapore's 180 years of postal history and stamps.
• Exhibits of world-wide award winning collections.

Click Go the Shears - Australian Folklore 21.7.1986

"Click Go the Shears" is a traditional Australian folk song. The song details a day's work for a sheep shearer in the days before machine shears. The enduring popularity of this song reflects the traditional role that the wool industry has played in Australian life. The song describes the various roles in the shearing shed, including the "ringer", the "boss of the board", the "colonial experience man" and the "tar boy". After the day's shearing, the "old shearer" takes his cheque and heads to the local pub for a drinking session.

The tune is an adaptation of the American Civil War song ”Ring the Bell Watchman” by Henry Clay Work and the first verse follows closely, in parody, Work's lyrics as well.

The second verse in the original 19th century song is as follows:

Click goes his shears; click, click, click.

Wide are the blows, and his hand is moving quick,

The ringer looks round, for he lost it by a blow,

And he curses that old shearer with the bare belled ewe.

Australia 26.9.1984 - AUSIPEX 84

France 16.10.1976 – 25th Anniversary of the Council of Europe

France commemorated the 25^th Anniversary of the Council of Europe in 1976 with a set of four impressive stamps. This FDC displays the 100f stamp depicting the Council Flag.

The European flag is the symbol not only of the European Union but also of Europe's unity and identity in a wider sense. The European flag consists of 12 golden stars in a circle on a blue background. The stars symbolise the ideals of unity, solidarity and harmony among the peoples of Europe. The number of stars has nothing to do with the number of member countries, though the circle is a symbol of unity.The history of the flag goes back to 1955. The Council of Europe - defending human rights and promoting European culture – adopted the present design for its own use. Over the following years the Council of Europe encouraged the emerging European institutions to adopt the flag as well.

The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation. It was founded in 1949, has 47 member states with some 800 million citizens, and is an entirely separate body from the European Union (EU), which has 28 member states. Unlike the EU, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws. The two do however share certain symbols such as the flag and the anthem.

The best known bodies of the Council of Europe are the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights, and the European Pharmacopoeia Commission, which sets the quality standards for pharmaceutical products in Europe. The Council of Europe's work has resulted in standards, charters and conventions to facilitate cooperation between European countries.

Its statutory institutions are the Committee of Ministers comprising the foreign ministers of each member state, the Parliamentary Assembly composed of MPs from the parliament of each member state, and the Secretary General heading the secretariat of the Council of Europe. The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent institution within the Council of Europe, mandated to promote awareness of and respect for human rights in the member states.

The headquarters of the Council of Europe are in Strasbourg, France, with English and French as its two official languages. The Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress also use German, Italian, and Russian for some of their work.

Thank you Maria.

Singapore 13.10.2013 - Singapore’s Globalisation Journey

For the first time, Singapore’s story of trade and internationalization is featured on stamps. Trade has always been the backbone of Singapore’s economy, and through the years, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore has been spearheading the overseas growth of Singapore-based companies and international trade. In conjunction with the 30thanniversary of IE Singapore, SingPost released the Globalisation of Singapore stamp issue on 10 September 2013.
This set of four stamps commemorates the efforts of IE Singapore in transforming Singapore into a thriving global trading hub, with a complete ecosystem for the energy, agri-commodities, and metals and minerals trading clusters. It comes in 1^st Local, S$0.65, S$0.80 and S$1.10 denominations, encapsulating the aspirations of IE Singapore to establish Singapore as a thriving business hub with globally competitive companies and leading international traders.
Thank you Shashi.

1984 Olympic Games - Los Angeles 25.7.1984

The Sentimental Bloke - Australian Folklore 3.8.1983

The lovely stamps on this cover honour the popular Australian poet CJ Dennis who wrote The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, a verse novel by novelist and poet C. J. Dennis. The work was first published in book form in 1915 and sold over 60,000 copies in nine editions within the first year.

The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke tells the story of Bill, a larrikin of the Little Lonsdale Street Push, who is introduced to a young woman by the name of Doreen. The book chronicles their courtship and marriage, detailing Bill's transformation from a violence-prone gang member to a contented husband and father.

Two film versions of The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke have been produced: a silent version in 1919 written and directed by Raymond Longford, and which featured Arthur Tauchert as Bill and Lottie Lyell as Doreen; and a "talkie" version in 1932, directed by F.W. Thring from a screenplay by C.J. Dennis.
In 1961, a musical called The Sentimental Bloke was produced in Canberra, and later in Melbourne and other cities. The music was by Albert Arlen, with lyrics by Arlen, Nancy Brown and Lloyd Thomson.
A television adaptation appeared in 1976, written and directed by Alan Burke and featuring Graeme Blundell as Bill.

A ballet version of Arlen's musical was choreographed by Robert Ray, with Albert Arlen's music freely arranged by John Lanchbery. This was presented by The Australian Ballet in 1985, and they presented it on their tour of the Soviet Union.

Thank you Maria for this delightful first day cover.

Scenic Australia

These are three of the set of six pretty stamps issued in 1976 highlighting important scenes in Australia.

(85c) Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock and officially gazetted as Uluru / Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs, 450 km (280 mi) by road.

Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to a plethora of springs, waterholes, rock caves, and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(25c) Broken Bay, a semi–mature tide dominated drowned valley estuary, is a large inlet of the Tasman Sea located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north ofSydney central business district on the coast of New South Wales, Australia; being one of the bodies of water that separate greater Metropolitan Sydney from the Central Coast. Broken Bay is the first major bay north of Sydney Harbour.

Broken Bay has its origin at the confluence of the Hawkesbury River, Pittwater, and Brisbane Water and flows openly into the Tasman Sea.

The total catchment area of the bay is approximately 17.1 square kilometres (6.6 sq mi).

(5c) The Richmond Bridge is a heritage listed arch bridge located on the B31 ("Convict Trail") in Richmond, 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia. It is the oldest bridge still in use in Australia.

The foundation stone for the Richmond Bridge was laid on 11 December 1823 and construction continued using convict labour until completion in 1825. The bridge was originally named Bigge's Bridge after Royal Commissioner, John Thomas Bigge, who recognised the need for the bridge in 1820. In 2005, the bridge was recognised as an outstanding historic place and added to the Australian National Heritage List.

Murder of George Grover.In 1832 an employee of the Richmond Gaol was murdered at Richmond bridge. George Grover was employed as a gaoler whose duties including flogging the prisoners. He was unpopular due to his ferocity and was pushed off the edge of Richmond Bridge after drunkenly falling asleep. No one was convicted of his murder.

Thank you Maria.

Singapore 12.9.2013 - Singapore-Vietnam Joint Stamp Issue – 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations

In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic relations between Singapore and Viet Nam, a joint stamp issue on birds was launched. This is the second joint stamp issue between the two countries.

Beautifully portrayed in this joint stamp issue are the Grey Peacock Pheasant and the Red Junglefowl.

Depicted on one stamp is the Grey Peacock Pheasant which is drawn by To Minh Trang. It has greyish brown plumage with dark blue circles and white rings. Each tail feather has two green “eyespots” or ocelli which are especially prominent in the males. The Grey Peacock Pheasant also scientifically known as Polyplectron bicalcaratum is a medium-sized pheasant found mostly in the lowland and hill forest of Assam and Southeast Asia. It has greyish brown plumage, adorned with dark blue circles and white rings. Distinctive features of this bird include white cheeks and throad. Each tail feather has two green "eyespots" or ocelli, which are especially prominent in the males. Females are smaller, with darker and duller plumage.

Female grey peacock pheasants are smaller, and have a darker and duller plumage.

The second stamp featured the Red Junglefowl which is drawn by Eng Siak Loy. The cockerel has striking plumage, ear wattles and a majestic red comb. The hen in its streaky brown plumage is less spectacular. The Red Junglefowl scientifically known as Gallus gallus is widely touted as the wild ancestor of the domestic chicken. The cockerel has ear wattles and sports a majestic red comb. Its plumage is bright gold or bronze with hues of blue, purple or green on the tail. The hen is less spectacular, with streaky brown plumage. Red Junglefowls are able to fly up in trees to roost at night, and to escape ground predators.

Thank you Shashi.

Cook's Cottage 26.1.1984

Thank you Maria.

Australia Day 1982 20.1.1982

The stamp on this cover commemorates Australia Day 1982. It depicts the Three Great Waves of Migration.

The settlement of Australia was in three great waves, the first was the Aborigine, during the Dream Time, the second was the colonists from 1788, the third came after World War 2, when Australia's population more than double over a very short period of years.

Australia Day is on January 26 and commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement at Port Jackson, now part of Sydney, in 1788. It is an opportunity for Australians to come together to celebrate their country and culture. There are reflections on the achievements of the nation and explorations of way to make the country even better in the future.

On January 26, 1788, the First Fleet of 11 ships from Great Britain arrived at Port Jackson, which now forms Sydney Harbour. The First Fleet was led by Captain Arthur Philip. He established the Colony of New South Wales, the first penal colony in Australia. By 1808, January 26 was being celebrated as “First Landing Day” or “Foundation Day” with drinking and merriment.

Thirty years after the arrival of the First Fleet, in 1818, the Governor of Australia ordered a 30-gun salute, hosted a dinner ball at Government House and gave government employees a holiday. In the following years, employees of banks and other organizations were also given holidays. In the following decades, horse racing and regattas were popular activities on January 26.

In 1838, Foundation Day was Australia's first public holiday. It was also the occasion of the first public celebrations of the founding of Australia. The shores of Sydney Harbour were crowded and there was a firework display. By 1888, January 26 had become known as 'Anniversary Day' was celebrated in all colonies except Adelaide. In 1888, the centenary of the arrival of the First Fleet was celebrated with ceremonies, exhibitions, banquets, regattas, fireworks and the unveiling of a statue of Queen Victoria.

By 1935, January 26 was known as Australia Day in all states except New South Wales, where it was still called Anniversary Day. In 1938, large scale celebrations were held. These included a re-enactment of the landing of the First Fleet, which did not mention the convict status of many of the passengers on these ships. The re-enactment is included the removal of a group of Aborigines. Shortly before the celebrations, a group of Aboriginal activists arranged a “Day of Mourning”. They used this to campaign for citizenship and equal rights for Aborigines.

From 1946, January 26 was known as Australia Day in all states. However, the public holiday was moved to the Monday nearest to January 26 to create a long weekend.  Since 1994, the Australia Day public holiday has been on January 26 in all states and territories.

The anniversary of the first permanent European settlement in Australia is not a cause for celebration for all citizens. Indigenous Australians often feel that the celebrations on Australia Day exclude them and their culture, which was thriving for thousands of years before the arrival of the First Fleet (see my post on 22.5.2012).

Thank you Maria.

150th Anniversary of Banking in Australia 5.4.1967

This 4c stamp on the cover commemorates the 150^th Anniversary of Banking in Australia on 5^th April 1967. I do have a soft corner for the postmark as it is on my birthday J.

The first bank to be established in Australia was the Bank of New South Wales, which was established in Sydney in 1817, with Edward Smith Hall as its cashier and secretary. During the 19th and early 20th century, the Bank of New South Wales opened branches throughout Australia and Oceania: at Moreton Bay (Brisbane) in 1850, then in Victoria (1851), New Zealand (1861), South Australia(1877), Western Australia (1883), Fiji (1901), Papua New Guinea (1910) and Tasmania (1910).

On the cover you see an embossed coin, a dollar in fact. A coin with a hole in it. This Holey dollar has an interesting history behind it!

Holey dollar is the name given to coins used in the early history of two British settlements: Prince Edward Island and New South Wales. The middle was punched out of Spanish dollars, creating two parts: a small coin, known as a "dump" in Australia, and a "holey dollar". This coin was one of the first coins struck in Australia. The 1813 Holey Dollar and its partner, the 1813 Colonial Dump, were the first coins struck in Australia. Not only are they extremely rare, but their fascinating history has made them two of the world’s most famous coins.

In the early 1800s, the Governor of NSW bought a house. He paid for it with 200 gallons of rum. Strange, you think? But no, this wasn’t at all unusual. Even though New South Wales had moved on from being a penal colony and was fast developing into a well established and a vibrant society, there was still no bank – and no local currency. The laws of economics being what they are, something else had to take its place as a medium of exchange, and the most commonly used alternative was liquor. Rum was selling at more than twenty times its nominal value, and its  popularity as a negotiating medium was embraced by all sections of the community – including Governor Lachlan Macquarie himself. It was, though, a clearly unsustainable situation, and in 1812, the Governor set in motion a plan to resolve the colony’s currency crisis by importing 40,000 Spanish Silver Dollars.

To stop the coins disappearing into traders’ pockets, he had them punched-out and re-stamped, making them useless outside Australia. In the process, each dollar became two coins: the large donut-like outer ring, and the punched-out inner disc. The newly created ring was re-stamped with a value of five shillings, the year 1813, and had the issuing authority of New South Wales around the inner circumference. This became the 1813 Holey Dollar. The circular inner was re-stamped with a crown, the year 1813, the issuing authority and the value of fifteen pence. This became the Colonial Dump. The coins provided a vital short-term solution to the colony’s currency crisis and remained in official circulation for 16 years, before being withdrawn in 1829 when the Sterling standard was re-imposed.

Thank you Maria.