$25 2023 170th Anniversary of the Port Phillip Pattern 4 Coin Gold Proof Set

In 1853, English businessman William Taylor launched a venture to produce Australia's first non-legal tender coins but by the time he was ready to begin production, gold prices had risen and his scheme collapsed

Taylor produced just a few of his distinctive kangaroo pattern coins, the inspiration for the Royal Australian Mint's new set of four quarter-ounce gold investment coins.

The great gold rush of the early 1850s created wealth and a population boom in the struggling Australian colonies. But hard-working miners were paid less for their gold than its true worth, one of many injustices which led to the Eureka Stockade rebellion of 1854.

Others saw opportunities, among them English businessman William Taylor who headed a venture to buy gold direct from the goldfields and mint it into coins which could be sold at a profit in England.

Delays in launching production in Melbourne and a rise in the gold price scuppered the plan and only a few samples were produced.

These kangaroo-marked coins, termed the Kangaroo Office patterns or Port Phillip Patterns, were Australia's first non-legal tender investment coins. The few survivors are prized by collectors and very valuable. Taylor's actual dies still exist, held by Museums Victoria.

These rare coins are the inspiration for the Royal Australian Mint's new coin set, comprising four quarter ounce gold proof coins paying homage to the original designs, and presented in timber case with certificate of authenticity.

• 4 x 25 Dollars ($25)
• 4 x 1/4oz 99.99% Pure Gold
• Encapsulated & Cased
• Mintage 750
• Proof (FDC)