1852 Adelaide Pound Type II PCGS AU55

Produced during the desperate days of the South Australian colony, the 1852 Adelaide Pound is Australia’s first indigenous coin. Its story is well-known: Struck without Royal Assent, but with the blessing of the South Australian legislature, the coin was minted to large numbers (about twenty-five thousand pieces) before being widely melted down for scrap, which was greater than its face value of one pound. Today, only a few hundred examples of the pound exist. The cracked die example, described as Type I, is the rarer of the two types, while the second type, with a crenulated inner design, is known by greater numbers – although it too is still quite scarce. The Type II example photographed above is a collectable example of this popular issue. Minimally-worn, with good detail to the crown, the coin is graded AU55 with PCGS. Wear-wise, the coin is probably an AU58; I suspect the coin was downgraded on account of its poor strike, which is typical of Type II Adelaide Pounds. Otherwise, it is an overall appealing and high-grade example of this popular issue, and well-priced to boot. Professional Coin Grading Service is the global leader in coin authentication and grading. With over 60 million coins graded and counting, PCGS is trusted by collectors, dealers, and investors to certify authenticity, protect value, and elevate market confidence. This is a direct conversion of the 70-point PCGS grade to a 10-point scale, intended to present the grade in a more intuitive format for newer collectors. It is not our personal opinion or an attempt at regrading the coin to a different standard. To understand how the 70-point scale converts to a 10-point scale, [click here](https://drakesterling.com/en/page/the-ten-point-coin-grading-scale). Produced during the desperate days of the South Australian colony, the 1852 Adelaide Pound is Australia’s first indigenous coin. Its story is well-known: Struck without Royal Assent, but with the blessing of the South Australian legislature, the coin was minted to large numbers (about twenty-five thousand pieces) before being widely melted down for scrap, which was greater than its face value of one pound. Today, only a few hundred examples of the pound exist. The cracked die example, described as Type I, is the rarer of the two types, while the second type, with a crenulated inner design, is known by greater numbers – although it too is still quite scarce. The Type II example photographed above is a collectable example of this popular issue. Minimally-worn, with good detail to the crown, the coin is graded AU55 with PCGS. Wear-wise, the coin is probably an AU58; I suspect the coin was downgraded on account of its poor strike, which is typical of Type II Adelaide Pounds. Otherwise, it is an overall appealing and high-grade example of this popular issue, and well-priced to boot.