Australia (1855) Port Phillip Pattern Silver Sixpence

EXTREMELY RARE!

William Joseph Taylor (b.1802 d.1885) was a British entrepreneur active in the numismatic manufacturing industry in London in the late 19th century. Perhaps his largest single project was the Kangaroo Office at Port Phillip Victoria between 1853 and 1857 a venture intended to take advantage of the explosive economic growth in Australia following the discovery of gold in 1851. The pattern tokens struck by Taylor for this venture are among the most keenly sought of all Australian numismatic items. They include 2oz 1oz 1/2oz and 1/4oz patterns struck in gold, shilling and sixpence struck in gold, silver, copper and a variety of other metals. 

The undated Kangaroo Office Port Phillip Victorian Pattern silver plain edge Sixpence we have on offer, was engraved and designed by W.J.Taylor c.1855 featuring a coroneted bust of Queen Victoria facing left and the reverse shows a large "6" in the centre with SIX PENCE at the top. The obverse and reverse has a broad raised engine-turned rim which encompasses the incused legends.

Superb underlying blue-grey toning is present on this sharply struck masterpiece, brilliant nearly FDC and is slabbed by PCGS SP64. Rarity 8. Three of the four pieces known to exist are in private collections and the other is tucked away in the National Gallery of Victoria Museum 1976 (Reg. No: NU 3059).

(Catalogue No. X#Pn6e, Catalogue Value $50 000.00) 

SLABBED PCGS SP64