The Adelaide Ingot sterling silver issue celebrates the 1852 Adelaide Assay Office. Both the
reverse and obverse were designed in-house by the Royal Australian
Mint design office. The reverse shows a gold ingot within the modern
design with the
legend
"1852 ADELAIDE ASSAY OFFICE GOLD INGOT". The obverse shows the other
side of the gold ingot along with a miniature portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II at the top. It includes the
legend
"ELIZABETH II - AUSTRALIA 2009 ONE DOLLAR".
It was due to the mass exodus of workers to the Victorian and NSW gold fields in 1851 that caused the South Australian
Government to open its own style of mint. Currency had been difficult to come by and hence commercial transactions were made
difficult by the lack of coinage. The Adelaide Assay Office opened on 10th February 1852 and within six months had received
over one million pounds worth of gold for assaying.
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