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The coin, now valued at around $525,000, was allegedly stolen from a museum in Poland before finding its way into a private collection in Melbourne.
Major General Lachlan Macquarie was Governor of NSW from 1810-1821. Credit: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty
Jim Noble is the Managing Director of Noble Numismatic Pty Ltd, an Australian company specialising in the trade of coins, medals, stamps, banknotes, and related items.
“In 1813, Governor (Lachlan) Macquarie recognised the problem of foreign coins circulating in the colony of New South Wales, which were being taken out of the colony by ships delivering supplies, leading to a significant shortage of money. He wanted to retain the money within the colony,” Noble explained.
An example of a ‘Holey Dollar’ fashioned to make it only for use in the early NSW colony in Australia. Credit: administrator/PR IMAGE
“A precedent had already been set in the West Indies, where coins had been counter-marked and revalued higher than their metal value.
Noble said of the estimated 10,000 original Holey Dollar coins, only about 300 remained including the 1813 one recently returned to Poland.
The Holey Dollar coin returned to Poland. Credit: Anna Kawalkowska, Polish Embassy, Canberra
The coin’s journey
Polish authorities tracked it globally after it was reported missing. They identified that it had been taken to Germany, where it was offered for sale at two separate auctions.
How the coin ended up in Australia
“The coin was subsequently willingly surrendered to the AFP,” the statement said.
It is not expected that any Australian-based individuals will face criminal charges, as all local transactions were made in good faith. All parties were unaware at the time that the coin had been stolen.
Australian Federal Police statement
Handed back to Poland
“Thanks to two years of work, this coin is finally returning to Poland, where it rightfully belongs.”
Federal Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, and Poland’s Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Marta Cienkowska.
Speaking on behalf of the Australian government, Burke reflected on the 53 years of diplomatic relations between Poland and Australia.
“The tallest peak in Australia, Mount Kosciuszko, bears a Polish name. We honour our service personnel who fought side-by-side during World War Two, most famously in 1941 during the Siege of Tobruk, and the Australian and Polish air crews who provided support during the Warsaw Uprising.”
