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Numismatics & Philately Collection
Image: Australia, 5 Shilling, Obverse
Source: Museum Victoria
The Numismatics and Philately Collections offer a window into societies and their values, particularly officially sanctioned values. They have a worldwide coverage of coins, historical medals, military medals, paper money, share scrip and stamps.
The most extensive parts of the collection are of Australian and British Commonwealth material. The Australian coin collection is the most important of its kind in the world, containing unique reference material retained by both the Melbourne and Sydney mints.
The Numismatic collection reflects the economic, political and technological histories of societies. It is primarily built up from the collections formed by the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Mint, and products from the Canberra Mint are still obtained.
It includes the collection of the artist Eugene von Guerard and groups of medals awarded to important Victorian figures including Frederick McCoy, Redmond Barry and Ferdinand von Mueller, together with many internationally significant pieces collected for the 1879, 1880 and 1888 Australian international exhibitions.
The Philately collection comprises stamps, envelopes, covers and commemorative sets. It includes a collection of colonial Australasian stamps and an important collection of world airmail stamps to 1950. Australia Post's National Philatelic Collection is also held in Victoria. Together, these form an internationally significant resource.
Significant items
- Melbourne Mint and Sydney Mint coin collections.
- British Commonwealth coins.
- Pre-decimal Australian reference coins.
- Australian and New Zealand trade tokens.
- Gold-rush period token dies including those from the Kangaroo Office.
- Acclimatisation Society Medals.
- First trial for a token manufactured in Australia.
- Original press and gold scales from Melbourne Mint.
- Australia's first coins (holey dollars and dumps), 1813.
- 1888 Melbourne International Exhibition Ceremonial key and medal.
- European art medals, particularly by French artists, and Australian art medals.
- Colonial Australasian stamps.
- Antarctic stamps and medals.
- British Commonwealth stamps, 1935-1954.
- World stamps issued for airmail 1913-1953.
- Share scrip collection, with particular emphasis on Victorian gold mining.
- Australian internment camp currency.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 21 - 30) 47 items
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Tumbler - Decimal Currency Conversion, circa 1966
Alternative Name(s): Drinking Glass Clear glass tumbler printed in red showing decimal coin currency and equivalents in pre-decimal currency. It features images of 1, 2, 5 10, 20 and 5 ...
Images: 5 -
Scrip - The Colonial Gas Association Limited, circa 1893
Alternative Name(s): Share Certificate Unissued Founder's Share certificate certificate No.153 for The Colonial Gas Association Limited. The Colonial Gas Association Limited was incorpo ...
Images: 1 -
Scrip - North Broken Hill Mining Co N.L., Broken Hill, Issued Melbourne, Victoria,1908
Alternative Name(s): Share Certificate Share Scrip for fifty full paid up (50) shares of £1 each in the North Broken Hill Mining Company No Liability, issued to W. Gwiner of Adelaide, ...
Images: 2 -
First Day Cover - Australian Horse Racing, 10 Oct 1978
This first day cover was issued by Australia Post in 1978 to celebrate the Australian Racing Industry, particularly horses that had won the Melbourne Cup. One of these was the race hors ...
Images: 1 -
Postage Stamp - Phar Lap, 1978
This stamp was issued by Australia Post in 1978, as part of a series of four stamps celebrating the Australian Racing Industry, particularly horses that had won the Melbourne Cup. Phar ...
Images: 1 -
First Day Cover - Australian Horse Racing, 10 Oct 1978
This first day cover was issued by Australia Post in 1978 to celebrate the Australian Racing Industry, particularly horses that had won the Melbourne Cup. One of these was the race hors ...
Images: 1 -
Gatling Gun - Armstrong Mitchell, 1884
Armstrong Mitchell Gatling gun with 10 barrels within brass jacket, made in 1884. The Gatling gun is an semi-automatic early machine gun, apparently first used in combat in the Americ ...
Images: 3 -
Scrip - Boxhill Township Estate Co Ltd, Issued Victoria, Australia, 1890
The Boxhill Township Estate Company Ltd. Scrip issued to Cornelius Job Ham of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. [Registered Office not listed] 22 September 1890 2 Shares Capital: 60,000 ...
From: Melbourne, Australia Images: 1 -
Postal Cover - Australia Post, West Gate Bridge Melbourne, Official Opening, 15 Nov 1978
Souvenir postal cover issued by Australia Post on 15 Nov 1978, to commemorate the official opening of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne. Includes 20c "Little Grebe" stamp, a postal stam ...
Images: 1 -
Certificate - Royal Humane Society, Florence E. Hodges, 21 Jun 1926
Royal Humane Society of Australasia certificate presented to 15 year old Florrie Hodges to recognise the bravery of her actions in protecting her two sisters from harm during the Powell ...
Images: 2
