Australian Gold Sovereigns, Rare Colonial Banknote & an MBE

November 27, 2022 12:00 PM AEDT
Timed Auction

221 Lots

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Smalls Auctions

Location: Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 (0)2 9357 5492

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AUSTRALIA :

Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $10.00 and will be sent by Registered Post.

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OVERSEAS :

Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $35.00 and will be sent by standard International Post.

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Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

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Welcome to Smalls Auctions Sale 196. One of the featured lots in this Sale is an MBE. An MBE or Member of the Order of the British Empire “is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community which has had a long-term, significant impact,” in a variety of areas such as the Arts, Sports, Science or Community Services. This MBE was awarded to Sister Elsie Smith. To paraphrase the Wanganui Chronical of June 9, 1955 - Elsie began her nursing career in England during WWI where she was in charge of five wards. After the Great War she studied theology and left for missionary work at Hawkes Bay New Zealand in 1926. In 1928 she was inducted as Deaconess of St Stephens Church, Marton and in 1930 she was appointed as Māori Missionary for the Wanganui River area holding that position for about 23 years. She continued to work among Māori in an unofficial capacity and in 1955 was awarded her MBE in recognition of services to NZ Māori’s. She returned to England about 1962 and died in 1968. The medal is being offered by her great nephew who was left it in her will. She remembered him fondly for the hair-raising ride he gave her on the back of his motorbike to catch a boat back to New Zealand after a family visit to Australia. Always the adventurer she was in her eighties at the time. The Sale also has a choice run of Australian Sovereigns from the 1870s. It starts with an 1870 Sydney Mint featuring a Young Head of Victoria sporting an Australian Banksia wreath and is followed by St George and Shield reverse Sovereigns which ran concurrently at the time. We also have another selection of Australian Modern Coin issues as well as a significant selection of Australian Pre-decimal coins plus an extremely important Australian Colonial Banknote. The 'South Australian Banking Company' 1862 £1 is the only signed and issued note of this bank that has survived. Also included are two very rare Banknote ‘forgeries’ spanning Australia’s changeover to Decimal Currency in the mid-1960s. It is not often that fakes are worth far more than the originals, but these examples of the counterfeiters’ craft are exceedingly rare. The first note is a forgery of a ‘Coombs- Wilson’ £10, last issued in 1961 and, known colloquially as a ‘brick’ because of its shape and red colour. The famous Australian race caller Ken Howard would broadcast “you can bet London to a brick" on a horse he was sure would get up in a photo finish result. The £10 note was the highest denomination Australian banknote in circulation since the 1920s and so was the currency of big betting punters on the racetrack. The racetrack was also the preferred venue for counterfeiters who working in tandem with a bent bookmaker could pass off one or two dud notes when paying out to an unsuspecting punter with both sharing a handy profit over the course of the day. The £10 note on offer is one such counterfeit which was plucked from a bank deposit and stamped 'Forgery' probably after passing through many hands. The current owner of this note tells us that it was tendered in a court case and pocketed by one of the lawyers at the end of the trial. Perhaps the ‘legal eagle’ had a visit to the racetrack planned for the following weekend. The second is a counterfeit of the first ‘Coombs-Wilson’ $10 note which is emblematic of the duality of the Australia that evolved from a penal colony. While most of the Australian population was being inundated with information about a new Decimal Currency to be introduced on the 14th of February 1966, the criminal classes were also taking instruction on a rare opportunity to dupe their fellow citizens. The characteristics and security features of the new notes were being heavily publicised in advance to inform the public and so nothing could have been more galling for H.C. ‘Nugget’ Coombs, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, than to see his signature appearing on passable counterfeits of the decimal banknotes that had only just been released. The seriousness of the situation was conveyed in a quickly organised circular that offered a $10,000 reward “for information leading to the apprehension and conviction of the persons responsible.” It listed examples of the serial numbers of spurious notes that had been picked up in circulation asking the public to memorise the Prefix “letters SA and SB followed by E, N, V or Z with a list of numbers that followed. The $10 note in our sale ‘SBE 178414’ appears prominently on the circular and is thought to be one of only two examples that were not retrieved by the Reserve Bank. The circular is also a rarity, listing in detail what to look out for when handling the new notes directing that “if you detect a counterfeit note inform the Police immediately.” It goes on to explain that “if you cannot see a distinct vertical metallic thread when the note is held to the light, the note is counterfeit. If there appears to be a metallic thread, check for other faults (such as) * Waxy smooth feel * Imitation watermark – on front only * Irregular edge on “Times Bakery” * Course vertical patterns of blue and white wavy line on back.” We hope you enjoy our Sale and find something of interest to add to your collection. Smalls Auctions.
Buyer's Premium
$0-99: 20.0%
$100-499: 20.0%
$500-999: 20.0%
$1,000-4,999: 20.0%
$5,000+: 20.0%
Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
A$0 A$249 A$5
A$250 A$999 A$10
A$1,000 A$4,999 A$25
A$5,000 A$9,999 A$50
A$10,000 + A$100

Conditions of Sale

VAT and taxes: The Buyer's Premium is inclusive of the Australian G(oods) & S(ervices T(ax) incurred by our service.

Shipping Terms: AUSTRALIA :

Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $10.00 and will be sent by Registered Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

OVERSEAS :

Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $35.00 and will be sent by standard International Post.

Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense

Larger lots may incur an additional charge.

If we are unsure of the bona fides of a successful bidder we may request identification such as a Passport Photo or Drivers's Licence that matches the Credit Card details registered with Invaluable before we despatch an item.

Both Australian and International packages are traceable in transit and may require a signature on delivery.

Buyers Premium: All purchases are subject to an all inclusive 20.0 % Buyer's Premium on the hammer price.

Tax Details: Taxes, Duties and Customs Charges that apply in the country of delivery are the express responsibility of the buyer.

Please notify us if you require a specific description on the outside of the package for customs purposes.