206)
An Australian Five Dollar coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint in 1996, to
commemorate Sir Donald Bradman, Australia’s Greatest Cricketing Legend:
The cover image of the Reverse of a coin card
containing an Australian $5 coin issued in 1996 with the inscription “SIR
DONALD BRADMAN” on the upper periphery and “5 DOLLARS” on the lower periphery.
An image of the great legend is in the centre in cricketing gear, donning the
Australian cap and in the stance of striking the ball. Also on the coin card is
seen Bradman’s photograph looking right.
The coin Card reads – “A SPECIAL TRIBUTE
TO SIR DONALD BRADMAN”.
The Reverse of the AUD $5
coin card showing Donald Bradman in a batting stance on the coin and an image of the Don executing a stroke.
The Obverse of the coin
card containing an Australian $5 coin with an
image of the Queen facing right & the inscription “ELIZABETH II” on the left
periphery and “AUSTRALIA” on the right periphery. Also mentioned on this face is “ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT”.
On
the Card there is also, a brief
description of Bradman’s Test cricket record: “Sir Donald Bradman debuted for
New South Wales in the 1927-28 season at just 19. He amassed a career total of
28, 067 runs, including 117 hundreds. His Test batting average of 99.94
established over a test career of 20 years and 52 Tests stands not only as a
record unlikely to be surpassed, but as testimony to his pre-eminent standing
in the game of cricket”.
The Obverse of the AUD $5
coin showing the image of the Queen.
Some
Facts about Sir Donald George Bradman (27.08.1908– 25.02.2001):
Born on 27.08.1908,
Sir Donald George Bradman (nicknamed
The Don or the Boy from Bowral, Braddles) was an Australian cricketer,
who is widely acknowledged as the greatest Test batsman of all time.
He recorded a Test batting
average of 99.94 which is mentioned as the greatest achievement by any
sportsman in any major sport. (He missed scoring a perfect batting average of
100.00 by just four runs in his last innings)
As a youngster, Bradman
practiced playing cricket alone with a cricket stump and a golf ball. His phenomenal
rise from playing bush cricket to having a place in the Australian Test Team
took just two years.
Before his 22nd
birthday, he had set many records for top scoring, some of which still stand
today and became Australia’s sporting idol during the Great depression.
During a 20-year playing
career, he scored consistently at a pace that made him stand out among every
other batsman of his time and beyond.
The English team devised a
controversial set of tactics in a Cricket Series which came to be known as the
“Bodyline Series” to counter his fabulous scoring average. Bradman countered
the English tactics by valiantly adjusting his game and scoring from shots
reminiscent of tennis or golf shots and was the stand-out Australian cricketer
despite the English team winning the series.
Bradman’s style of cricket
as a captain and player was that of an attacking, entertaining cricket which
spectators came from all over in record numbers to see and to recount.
His personal nature was
such that he hated constant adulation of any kind. The constant focus of
attention on his individual performances strained his relationship with some of
his team-mates, sports journalists and cricket administrators who considered
him to be aloof and wary.
On 28.06.1940, during
World War II, Bradman joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) where the
exertion of the job aggravated his chronic muscular problems, which were
diagnosed as fibrositis. He had to leave the RAAF on medical grounds
He made his comeback after
World War II in the 1946-47 Ashes series. Later, he was captain of an Australian team in
1948, which was called “The Invincibles” and which went on a record breaking
unbeaten tour of England winning the Series 4 – 0.
Later, he took up
assignments as an Administrator, Selector and Sports writer for three decades
following his retirement. Even though he had now became highly reclusive, his
opinion was greatly sought after and his status as a national icon was very
much recognised.
He passed away on
25.02.2001 at the age of 92.
Some
of his achievements on the Test Cricket arena:
His Test debut was on 30.11.1928
(against England) and his last Test match was played on 18.08.1948
(against England).
His batting average of
99.94 is one of cricket’s most well known records. No other player who has
played more than 20 Test match innings has finished with a Test average of more
than 61. He played in 52 Test matches, scored 6996 runs with a top score of
334.
Bradman scored centuries
at a rate better than one every three innings in 80 Test innings, in all
scoring 29 Test centuries. Only 11 players have since surpassed his total, all
at a much slower rate, the next fastest player to reach 29 centuries , Sachin
Tendulkar, required 148 innings to do so.
He also scored 12 Test
double centuries the most achieved by any batsman and scored the fastest of all.
The next highest is Kumara Sangakkara with 11 double centuries in 223 innings.
Honours:
In 1939, Bradman
had a Royal Navy ship named after him. Built as a fishing trawler, the “HMS
Bradman” was inducted into the Australian Navy under his name.
He was honoured at a
number of cricket grounds and his portrait was hung in the Long Room at Lord’s
(one of three Australians to be honoured in this manner).
In 1963, in a special
commemorative selection compiled by Wisden for its 100th edition,
“Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanac”, he was selected as one of the six giants of the
Wisden Century the other five being – Sydney Barnes, W.G. Grace, Jack Hobbs,
Tom Richardson and Victor Trumper.
Wisden hailed him as “the
greatest phenomenon in the history of cricket, indeed in the history of all
ball games”.
In 1974, The
“Bradman Stand” at the Sydney cricket Ground was inaugurated by him
On 16.06.1979, the
Australian government awarded him the nation’s second-highest civilian honour –
the “Companion of the Order of Australia” (AC) in recognition of his service to
the sport of cricket and cricket administration.
On 10.12.1985,
Bradman was the first of 120 inaugural inductees into the “Sport Australia Hall
of Fame”.
In 1988, at the
Bradman Oval in Bowral, the Bradman Museum was opened. This was later converted
into a non-profitable Charitable Trust called the Bradman Foundation, which was
expanded and rebranded as the International Cricket Hall of Fame.
In 1990, the
Australian Oval also had a “Bradman Stand” constructed and demolished in 2013
when the Oval underwent a renovation.
In 1996, the
Australian Cricket Hall of fame made Bradman one of its inaugural members.
In 2000, Bradman
was selected by cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the
century by a unanimous vote among its 100 panellists.
In 2001, he was
hailed as the “greatest living Australian” by the Australian Prime Minister,
Howard – more than 50 years after his retirement as a Test player.
On 27.08.2008, the
Royal Australian Mint issued an AUD $5 Commemorative gold coin in his honour, depicting
his image.
Bradman
became the first living Australian to be honoured with a postage stamp, three
years before his passing away.
A 20 cent coin was issued
to commemorate his life, after he passed away.
There are songs written on
him “Our Don Bradman” (1930s), “Bradman” (1980s) and “Sir Don” (a tribute
performed at his Memorial service).
For outstanding
achievements in the field of cricket, a term “Bradmanesque” has been coined and is used both within and outside
cricketing circles.
Bradman has more biographies
on him than any other Australian. He himself wrote four books – Don Bradman’s
Book – The Story of My Cricketing Life with Hints on Batting”, Bowling and
fielding (1930), My Cricketing Life (1938), Farewell to Cricket (1950) and The
Art of Cricket (1958).
The story of the Bodyline
Series was the subject of a 1984 television mini-series in which Bradman was
portrayed as a courageous, adaptive cricketer.
(This commemorative coin-card is from the Collection of Jayant Biswas. Coin
card scanned and Post researched and written by Rajeev Prasad)
Links:
1) Coins commemorating the Commonwealth Games in India & other Indian Sports
2) Coins commemorating London Olympics
3) 100 Rouble Banknote Commemorating the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014
4) A set of four stamps issued by India Post to commemorate the FIFA World Cup held in Brazil 2014
5) The 2014 Ryder Cup Commemorative Banknote
6) Limited Edition Gold & Silver coins issued on Sachin Tendulkar "World's Greatest Batsman" by the New Zealind Mint
7) Australia's greatest Cricketing Legend Sir Donald bradman honoured by issue of 5 Pound Austrailan coins by the Royal Australian Mint.
8) Commemorative Coins issued on the occasion of Moscow Summer Olympics 1980 by the Russian Mint
Links to Posts on Australia, New Zealand and countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific on this blog:
1) Bank of Papua New Guinea: 36th Anniversary Celebrations (1973-2008): A Commemorative Uncirulated Coin Set consisting of a 2 Kina Banknote & a 2 Kina Coin
2) Papua New Guinea: An uncirculated coin set brought out in 1995 commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Independence
3) Currency & Coinage of the Soloman Islands: Dollars and Cents
4) New Zealand: New Banknote "Seventh Series" issued under Project "Brighter Money" from 2015 onwards
5) Coinage of the French Polynesian Island of Caledonia (or Nouvelle Caledonie) the CFP Franc
6) French Institution for issuing uniform currency/coinage for French Overseas Territories in the Pacific and the French Southern Territories of Antarctica: The Institut d'emmission d'outre Mer (IEOM)
7) Currency & Coinage of Samoa: Tala and Sene
8) Currency of the South Pacific Island Country of Fiji
9) Coinage of New Zealand: A commemorative coin set issued in 1979
10) Currency and Coinage of Australia: Dollars and Cents
11) The Australian Emblem or the Coat of Arms
12) The story of the Australian Penny
13) The Legend of the Mutiny on the Bounty: A Commemorative Coin Set from the Pitcairn Islands depicting relics from the Bounty issued in 2009
14) An Australian $5 coin issued in 1996, commemorating Australia's greatest cricketing legend - Sir Donald Bradman
15) New Series/Generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced from 01.09.2016 onwards starting from $5 issues
Links:
1) Coins commemorating the Commonwealth Games in India & other Indian Sports
2) Coins commemorating London Olympics
3) 100 Rouble Banknote Commemorating the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014
4) A set of four stamps issued by India Post to commemorate the FIFA World Cup held in Brazil 2014
5) The 2014 Ryder Cup Commemorative Banknote
6) Limited Edition Gold & Silver coins issued on Sachin Tendulkar "World's Greatest Batsman" by the New Zealind Mint
7) Australia's greatest Cricketing Legend Sir Donald bradman honoured by issue of 5 Pound Austrailan coins by the Royal Australian Mint.
8) Commemorative Coins issued on the occasion of Moscow Summer Olympics 1980 by the Russian Mint
Links to Posts on Australia, New Zealand and countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific on this blog:
1) Bank of Papua New Guinea: 36th Anniversary Celebrations (1973-2008): A Commemorative Uncirulated Coin Set consisting of a 2 Kina Banknote & a 2 Kina Coin
2) Papua New Guinea: An uncirculated coin set brought out in 1995 commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Independence
3) Currency & Coinage of the Soloman Islands: Dollars and Cents
4) New Zealand: New Banknote "Seventh Series" issued under Project "Brighter Money" from 2015 onwards
5) Coinage of the French Polynesian Island of Caledonia (or Nouvelle Caledonie) the CFP Franc
6) French Institution for issuing uniform currency/coinage for French Overseas Territories in the Pacific and the French Southern Territories of Antarctica: The Institut d'emmission d'outre Mer (IEOM)
7) Currency & Coinage of Samoa: Tala and Sene
8) Currency of the South Pacific Island Country of Fiji
9) Coinage of New Zealand: A commemorative coin set issued in 1979
10) Currency and Coinage of Australia: Dollars and Cents
11) The Australian Emblem or the Coat of Arms
12) The story of the Australian Penny
13) The Legend of the Mutiny on the Bounty: A Commemorative Coin Set from the Pitcairn Islands depicting relics from the Bounty issued in 2009
14) An Australian $5 coin issued in 1996, commemorating Australia's greatest cricketing legend - Sir Donald Bradman
15) New Series/Generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced from 01.09.2016 onwards starting from $5 issues
Krishnayya Ramadana has commented:
ReplyDelete"I don't think anyone can break his record ever...he made a duck in his last innings....had he scored just 4 runs in that innings his average would have been a 100. When Jardine got his body line against him, there were no helmets and there were no arm guards and midriff guards either.....despite that he managed a batting average of 57 in that series.....he had an average of 95.14 in all the first class matches he played....amazing guy....."
Thank you for the addl. info Krishnayya.
Delete