Description:

A contemporary forgery in copper likely the work of the recidivist forger William Henshall who was tasked by Governor Macquarie with striking the silver Holey Dollars and Dumps for circulation. Examples of the D2 & E3 Dumps are known in copper, and it is now believed that Henshall struck these as trials while he was preparing the settings for the silver strikings. There is also a unique Copper Trial of an unadopted type that surfaced a few years ago. However, most of the Copper Dumps that have surfaced were not struck with the imprimatur of the Government but are contemporary forgeries meant to deceive. Because of his hands-on knowledge Henshall was always a prime suspect for the forged copper dumps that began circulating in the Colony and, perhaps as a deterrent, he received an unusually severe flogging for trespassing on Sydney's Domain on the direct orders of Governor Macquarie his past employer. It is thought 10 - 20 copper forgeries were unearthed in 1927 during the excavation of Pitt Street for the City Circle Rail Line and all appear to be by their same hand being the product of one die. The spacing of the legend is consistent across all known examples but most are so heavily corroded from being buried that a common marker which consists of two stops either side of the "C" in "PENCE' is not always evident. This example, although worn, clearly shows the first stop while the second has melded into the base of the "C." In our opinion the contemporary ‘Copper’ Dumps should be represented in the any serious collection of Australian Colonial Coinage because on the evidence of their usual very worn state they circulated as coinage in tandem with the ‘Silver’ Dumps.

    Dimensions:
  • Diameter 18.57mm & Weight 4.96gms
  • Exhibited:
  • 355
  • Literature:
  • Collectibles
  • Medium:
  • Coins, Monies & Stamps
  • Circa:
  • Coins, Australia & New Zealand

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December 11, 2022 12:00 PM AEDT
Sydney, Australia

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