In 1800 New South Wales Governor Philip King made a proclamation in which he listed ten coins as legal tender in the colony.
One of the pieces listed was the Spanish Silver Dollar (8 Reales) which was an extremely well-known coin used throughout
the world. The Royal Australian Mint has commemorated the importance
of the Spanish Silver Dollar in Australian numismatic history with the release of this one dollar piece. The
reverse features the design of a 1758 Spanish silver dollar which was also known as a pillar dollar as at houses
the imagery used to depict the famous 'Pillars of Hercules' which flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar. This design
is then contained within a further
legend
that states "'PILLAR DOLLAR'" and the denomination "ONE DOLLAR". The obverse
features the obverse design used on the 1758 Pillar Dollar contained
within a
legend
stating "ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2006".
The piece was released as part of the subscription dollar series which ran yearly between 1996 and 2011 with the exception
of 2001. The subscription series was distinct from others as each issue was made to order. This meant that the total mintage
was limited to the number of orders that had been made in advance of mintage. The series commemorated Australian numismatic
history with a number of significant designs being re-struck as well as coins celebrating milestones such as a century of
Australian coinage.
Find out what dealers are paying with a subscription.
