This rare and beautiful commemorative coin portrays the Sydney Cove Medallion, an extremely significant artefact made by Josiah Wedgwood in 1789 from clay found near Sydney Cove. The coin is presented with an exclusive fine bone china plate specially made by the Wedgwood company.

Proof Quality 99.9% Pure Silver

The coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality.

High-Relief Reverse

The coin’s spectacular ‘high-relief’ reverse portrays the Sydney Cove Medallion’s allegorical design of ‘time’s opening scenes’ in the new Australian colony. Four classical figures representing ‘Hope’, ‘Art’, ‘Labour’ and ‘Peace’ are seen on the shores of a bay with ship in the background.

Australian Legal Tender

Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the 2010 coin bears the Ian Rank-Bradley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, also in ‘high-relief’.

Wedgwood Plate

The coin is accompanied by a Wedgwood fine bone china plate. Depicting the Medallion’s symbolic scene and lines from Erasmus Darwin’s poem The Visit of Hope to Sydney Cove, its blue and white design is edged in platinum.

large plate 21 cm diameter

Gift-Box Packaging

Housed in a display case and shipper, the coin is presented in gift-box packaging with the Wedgwood plate and its stand.

Numbered Certificate of Authenticity

Also included in the gift-box is a numbered Certificate of Authenticity incorporating an informative text and historical images.

Extremely Limited Mintage

The Perth Mint will release no more than 5,000 of these superb collector pieces.

Technical Note

The coin’s ‘high-relief’ obverse and reverse are minted on concave surfaces to ensure the optimum flow of metal is achieved by the strike of the die.

Technical Specifications

note shipping cost is more expensive on this item

Mint State Perfect Un-circulated (MS-70)  Mint state un-circulated coin in perfect condition, showing no traces of wear, and no blemishes, scratches, handling or contact with other coins. The best quality coin possible.

Choice (Gem) Un-circulated (MS-65-69)  An above average un-circulated coin which retains all of the original mint brilliance or luster, and has a very few contact marks on the surface or rim, which are barely noticeable.

Brilliant Un-circulated or BU (MS-60-64)  An un-circulated coin having no traces of wear but which has a few contact marks, surface spotting or lacks some of its original luster.

Choice About Un-circulated (AU-55 & 58)   A coin having very light wear on only the highest points of the design but no other defects and with most of its luster remaining.  

About Un-circulated (AU-50)  Coin has evidence of light wear on many of the high points but at least half of the mint luster is still present.

Extremely Fine (EF-40)  The coin design is lightly worn in most places but all the features remain sharp and well defined.

Choice Very Fine (VF-30)   Light even wear on the surface and highest parts of the design but most major features and the lettering are sharp.

Very Fine (VF-20)   Minor features such as some of the finer hair detail, feathers, etc. will be moderately worn. Shows moderate wear on high points of design. All major details are clear.

Fine (F-12)   Moderate to considerable even wear over most features and the lettering. A lot of the details are worn through but you can still see a good deal of the design.

Very Good (VG-8)   The entire design is weak, but a few details are visible. Well worn throughout but coin rims still visible.  

Good (G-4)   Heavily worn but design and legend still visible although quite weak in spots. Many details are gone.

About Good (AG-3)   Very heavily worn with portions of lettering, date and legends worn smooth and barely discernable.