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Wednesday, 5 August 2020

1445) Ned Kelly, Niue Island: A $5 (Five Dollar) Silver Coin issued by Niue Island featuring the well-known Outlaw, who is a house-hold name all over Australia: Year of Coin issue: 2020:

1445) Ned Kelly, Niue Island: A $5 (Five Dollar) Silver Coin issued by Niue Island featuring the well-known Outlaw, who is a house-hold name all over Australia: Year of Coin issue: 2020:

The Outlaw Ned Kelly - A Brief Biography:

The Early Years:

Born in the mid-1850s as the first son of John Kelly (an Irish convict) and his wife Ellen, Ned Kelly was destined to live outside the law - and to die at its hands. 

There are no records of Ned's birth or baptism (his family was Roman Catholic), so his exact date of birth is unknown. Authorities later estimated his time of birth as 06/1854 or 1855.

Growing up with the belief that his family was deliberately targeted and harassed by the police, Ned was at odds with the authorities from a very early age. 

Coming to the attention of the police in his early teens as a result of minor assault and theft charges, Ned gained significant notoriety in 1870, when accused of being an accomplice of the infamous bushranger, Harry Powell. Although that charge was not proved in court, Ned was soon in custody again, ultimately spending most of the next few years in jail for a variety of offenses, including assault and horse stealing. (Bushranger is an Australian term for a highwayman or outlaw capable of surviving independently in the extremes of the Australian bush.)


Involved with the family's cattle-rustling operation of the late 1870s, Ned's transition from minor criminal to fully-fledged bushranger was triggered by the incident with Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick in April, 1878. The trooper, who was later dismissed from the force for misconduct, claimed that the Kellys and associates, including Ned, had attacked him at the Kelly home, and that he had been shot in the wrist. 

The Kellys argued that this version of events was completely false and fabricated. They claimed that Ellen had struck Fitzpatrick with a coal shovel after he made a pass at Ned's sister Kate, that no guns were drawn on Fitzpatrick, and that Ned was actually in New South Wales at the time! 

This was to no avail, and Ellen Kelly and two Kelly associates were sent to jail for assisting in the attempted murder of a police officer. Judge Redmond Barry, overseeing the case, stated that had Ned been present at the trial, he would have given him a very lengthy jail sentence.

The Reward:

With a reward now on their heads, Ned and his brother Dan took to the bush, where Joe Byrne and Steve Hart soon joined them. 

The list of crimes attributed to Ned was soon to include murder

The Kelly Gang confronted a well-armed police search party, shooting Sergeant Kennedy, Constable Lonigan and Constable Scanlon dead at Stringybark Creek. 

Following their deaths, the Parliament of the State of Victoria passed a most unusual piece of legislation, the Felons' Apprehension Act, giving ordinary members of the public the right to shoot any of the Kelly Gang on sight! 

The reward for the Kelly Gang, which had previously been set at £4000, was raised to £8000 (an incredible fortune back then!) following the gang's two notorious bank robberies, in Euroa, Victoria, and Jerilderie, New South Wales. Having secured a significant haul from the two raids, however, the Gang disappeared from view for well over a year, until June, 1880—only to reappear to perpetrate the murder of one-time friend turned alleged police informant, Aaron Sherritt.

Regardless of whether Sherritt was actually a police informer, or whether (as has been argued) he was made to appear like one in an attempt to bring the gang out of hiding, Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly went to Sherritt's house in June, 1880 and killed him in revenge for his perceived betrayal

A day later, with Ned seemingly determined to make a stand rather than take flight, the gang arrived in Glenrowan and promptly took around seventy people hostage in the hotel. 

It was to be here that the Kellys' last stand would take place, and where the Gang's famous suits of armor (thought to have been home-made from stolen or donated farm plows) would make their first and only appearance in battle.

The Siege:

Clad in the bulky iron suits (Ned's was the heaviest, weighing just under 100 pounds), the four bushrangers were besieged by police at the Glenrowan Inn before dawn on 28 June 1880. 

An informer had warned senior police that the Kelly Gang would be wearing armor, but this report was dismissed out of hand as being patently ridiculous.

 When bullets simply bounced off Ned's plate armor (which was effective in stopping all bullets fired at it), the troopers, who could not conceive that the outlaws would be wearing such heavy armor, wondered aloud what manner of supernatural being the imposing, bulletproof figure in the mist might be.

Although effective, the suit's composition of breastplate, back plate, helmet and groin apron left other body parts exposed. Ned was struck in the foot and arm, but continued toward police until brought down by bullets striking his exposed legs, at which point he was captured

Joe Byrne, whose suit lacked an apron, bled to death rapidly after being struck in the groin (femoral artery) by a bullet. An eyewitness report states that Dan Kelly and Steve Hart both committed suicide in the hotel before they could be taken by the police.

 One policeman suffered a minor wrist injury, whilst several of the hostages suffered gunshot wounds, two dying as a result.

After a shootout and siege with colonial police, in which the other three members of his gang were killed, Ned Kelly went to the gallows


The Gallows:

Although hit by gunfire a great number of times, Ned survived and was transported back to Melbourne to stand trial. Tried before the same judge, Redmond Barry, Ned was sentenced to hang to death for the murder of Constable Lonigan at Stringybark Creek. (Judge Barry himself would die of an infected carbuncle or boil on his neck twelve days after Ned's hanging.)

News of the sentence triggered an extraordinary outpouring of support for Ned, with a petition to have the death sentence commuted signed by tens of thousands of people

With these pleas falling on the deaf ears of the authorities, Ned Kelly was led to the gallows at Melbourne Jail on 11.11.1880. Uttering the words, "Such is life," before the trapdoor swung open, Ned did as his mother Ellen had implored him to do during her final visit to her son the day before, to "die like a Kelly.

The Legend:

In the 140 years since Ned's death, the Kelly Gang's brief war against authority has been immortalized in art, literature and film, with Ned clad in his suit of iron one of the most recognizable images of Australian history

Although opinions of Ned are split sharply - to some a working class hero and a symbol of national pride, and to others simply a cold-blooded murderer—the legend of Ned Kelly is woven deeply into the fabric of Australian culture.


Ned Kelly is a national hero in Australia, a household word; every Aussie knows the story of the ultimate bushranger and his gang

Such is his fame that he's well-known even in North America. Americans can certainly identify with his independent spirit and anti-authoritarian attitude—Ned certainly reminds us of Jesse James

Like Jesse James, Ned Kelly rode at the head of a gang named for himself. Like the James Gang, the Kelly Gang had the sympathy of ordinary folks and could live off the land. And like Jesse James, Ned Kelly is to this day considered a hero by some and a villain by others. One difference—Jesse didn't wear a suit of armor!

One reason for Ned's fame is the incredible, hand-forged suits of plate armor he and his fellow gang members wore during their final battle with the law. Large, heavy (nearly 100 pounds of cast iron each!) and elaborate, each suit included a head-enclosing helmet. All four suits of armor are still in existence, with Ned Kelly's personal suit one of the most important artifacts of pre-Commonwealth Australia in existence! 

The concept of bullet-proof plate armor worn by a desperado was memorably adopted by director Sergio Leone in the archetypal Spaghetti Western film - "A Fistful of Dollars", the first of a three-film trilogy in which Clint Eastwood stars as "The Man with No Name."

The Commemorative Coin:


The Reverse of the $5 (Five Dollar) Silver  Coinshows the main image portrays Ned in his famous armour in realistic hues. Capturing the last chapter of the Ned Kelly story perfectly, the other vignettes show the Kelly Gang’s last stand at the Siege of Glenrowan, and Ned in irons at the Old Melbourne Gaol, where he was hanged in November 1880.

The ultra high relief makes it seem that Ned Kelly is pointing his six-shooter right at you! Each coin is encapsulated and handsomely housed in a solid wood presentation case, with individually numbered certificate & full color outer box.  

The Obverse of the $5 (Five Dollars) Silver Coin shows an image of Queen Elizabeth II facing right.

The effigy has been designed by Ian Rank-Broadley (IRB), whose initials "IRB" appear below the Queen's neck.

The peripheral inscriptions are - "ELIZABETH II. NIUE. 2020. 2 OZ 999 SILVER. FIVE DOLLARS".

The specifications of this Coin are:

Denomination: 5 Dollars; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 2.0 Oz or 62.2 grams; Diameter/Size: 55.0 mm; Strike: Medallic Ultra High Relief; Mintage: 750 pieces; Country of issue: Niue: Year: 2020; Presentation Box: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity: Yes.


The outer cover of the Presentation Case.


The Presentation Case


The Certificate of Authenticity (COA)


A set of four coins issued by Tuvalu Islands showing various scenes from the Ned Kelly legend.









Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and Countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific etc on this Blog: 

1) Bank of Papua New Guinea: 36th Anniversary Celebrations (1973-2008): A Commemorative Uncirculated Coin Set consisting of a 2 Kina Banknote & a 2 Kina Coin


 3) Currency & Coinage of the Solomon 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 

16) Southern Lights: A $1 Silver holographic coin issued by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in January 2017

17) Currency & coinage of the Kingdom of Tonga : Pa'anga & Seniti 

18) Postage Stamps & Coin: Commemorating the Centenary of the Trans-Australian Railway Line stamps issued by Australia Post & coins by Perth Mint on 04.07.2017



20) The Earth and Beyond Coin Series issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): First coin in the series - The Earth - issued on 03.04.2018


21) Wedge Tailed Eagle Coin Series: 200 Dollars Gold, 100 Dollars Gold & 1 Dollar Silver coins brought out by the Perth Mint, Australia in its on-going series started in 2014 in collaboration with John Mercanti, Chief Engraver of the US Mint: Coins issued in 2018


22) Australian Kangaroo Coin Series: 25th Anniversary Commemoration: A $100 Gold Coin and a $10 Silver Coin with selective gold plating issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) in 2018


23) "Kangaroo at Sunset": The Royal Australian Mint (RAM) is phasing out this iconic $25 Gold Coin from its repertoire of Commemorative Coins in 2018


24) "Discovery": An exclusive one piece - 2 Kilo Gold Coin studded with four Argyle Pink Diamonds/Gemstones minted by the Perth Mint, Australia in co-ordination with the Argyle Pink Diamonds Mine on 04.09.2018


25) "The Moon": The Earth and Beyond three Silver Coin Series: Royal Australian Mint issues the second coin in the series - a silver coloured Five (AUD) Dollars Concave-shaped (Domed) Coin on 03.09.2018


26) New $10 Australian Banknote issued on 18.09.2017 under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New generation of Australian Banknotes being introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)

27) New Australian 50 Dollar Banknote (AUD $50) issued in 10/2018, under the "Fourth Series of Banknotes": New Generation of Australian Banknotes introduced in a phased manner from 09/2016 onwards by Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)


28) "Lake Argyle" - "The Jewel of the Kimberley", Australia: Limited Edition Series of Rare diamond ingots in Pink Gold (10 Oz. & 1 Oz.) and Platinum (1 Oz.) studded with eight Argyle Pink Diamonds each issued by the Perth Mint, Australia in collaboration with the Argyle Pink Diamond Mine (2018)


29) "The Sun": The Earth and Beyond Coin Series": Royal australian Mint (RAM) issues the third and final coin in the three-coin Series, a Silver Coloured Five (AUD) Dollars Concave-shaped (Domed) Coin on 03.02.2019


30) Australia New Generation $20 Banknote is scheduled to be released in October 2019, joining the already released Banknotes in the denominations of $5, $10 and $50 in the new Series

31) The Afghan Express, Australia's iconic Train nicknamed "The Ghan": 90th Anniversary of the iconic Transcontinental Passenger Train: A 50 Cent Colour applied coin brought out by the Royal Australian Mint on 08.07.2019

32) "Kangaroos at Dawn", Australia, replaces the "Kangaroo at Sunset" Coin Series:25 Dollar Gold 1/5 Oz Coin and 1 Dollar Silver 1/2 Oz Coins brought out by the Royal Australian Mint

33) Australian Redback Spider: The first coin in a new $1 (AUD) Silver Bullion Coin Series, brought out by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM) in a series titled "Australia's Most Dangerous": Coin issue year: 2020 

34) QANTAS (Queensland And North Territory Aerial Service), Australia: Centenary Anniversary Celebrations (1920-2020): A Commemorative $1 (AUD) Coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM; b) An 11-Coin set featuring an aircraft from QANTAS's 100 year old history and the Kangaroo Penny, which inspired its "Flying Kangaroo" logo: Coin issue Year: 2020

35) Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Niue: A $100 (AUD) Pearl 1 Oz. Gold Proof Coin: Date/Year of issue - 2020

36) "Gold Rush, 1851", Australia: Gold (10 Dollars), Silver (1 Dollar) and Aluminium Bronze (1 Dollar) Coins minted by the Royal Australian Mint commemorate the Era of Australia's Gold Rush; Year of issue: 2020

37) Indian-Pacific Railway Service, Australia: 50th Anniversary of the iconic train service: A Commemorative 50 Cent Coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Year of issue: 2020:

38) The ill-fated ship "Batavia", Australia: "Australian Shipwreck Coin Series": The first Gold 100 Dollars Triangular shaped Bullion Coin minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2019

39) The ill-fated ship "Vergulde Draeck" (or the "Gilt Dragon"), Australia: The second Gold 100Dollars and Silver 1 Dollar Triangular shaped Bullion Coins minted by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issued in 2020

40) The "Tooth Fairy", Australia: A $2 (Two Dollars) Coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): Coin issue Year: 2020

41) Native Daphne Moths, New Zealand: A set of six stamps depicting Native Daphne Moths issued by New Zealand Post: Stamp set issue date: 05.02.2020

42) "Kakariki" - (Parakeets), New Zealand: A set of five stamps issued by New Zealand Post featuring Parakeets found in New Zealand: Date of Stamp issue: 04.03.2020

43) Maui and the First Dog ("Maui Raua Ko Irawaru"), New Zealand: A set of two Gold Coins ($10 NZD each) and two Silver Coins (1 NZD each) issued by the New Zealand Mint & minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich: Date of Coin Set issue: 26.02.2020

44) The "Emu in the Sky Constellation", Australia: First Coin in the Star Dreaming Coin Series": A $1 (One Dollar) Silver Proof Coin issued by the Royal Australian Mint (RAM): YEar of coin issue: 2020

 45) New Zealand "Bear Hunt": A set of six stamps brought out by New Zealand Post, supporting the Red Cross - featuring Teddy Bears, selected to exemplifythe creativity and care put into the Bear Hunt by and for Kiwis: Date of Stamp set issue: 20.05.2020

46) "Matariki", New Zealand: "Nga Hau e Wha" (or "The Four Winds") featured on a set of four stamps featuring the Easterly, Westerly, Northerly and Southerly Winds brought out by New Zealand Post: Date of Stamp set issue: 03.06.2020


47) "Kookaburra" Silver Bullion Coin, Australia: 30th Anniversary milestone Commemorative Coins issued by the Perth Mint, Australia with 3 Silver Coin Variants (1, 10 and 30 Dollars) of the Commemorative Design: Year of issue: 2020

48) Feral Brumbies, Australia: "Horses Coin Series": 1 Dollar Silver Bullion Coins issued in its on-going Coin Series featuring various horse breeds on the Australian Continent, brought out by Perth Mint, Australia: Date of Coin issue: 22.06.2020

49) "Back To The Future", Niue: A $2 (Two Dollars) Silver Proof Colourised Coin minted by the Perth Mint, Australia on behalf of Niue on the 35th Anniversary of the Film: Year of issue: 2020


50) Kiwi Cakes and Bakes, New Zealand: A set of 15 Stamps of $1.40 each, issued by New Zealand Post featuring classic baked treats, popular in New Zealand: Date of Stamp Set issue: 01.07.2020

51) Great Southern Land, Australia: A Silver Proof Opal $1, One Oz. Coin, minted by the Perth Mint, Australia, featuring the unique Wildlife in Australia & the country's place in World Opal production: Date of Coin issue: 07.07.2020

Links to interesting Posts on coins from Tuvalu Islands:

1)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean :2) Edward Teach or "BlackBeard"

2)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean: 3)Bartholomew Roberts or Black Bart Roberts 
  
 3)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean:4)Jack Rackham 

4)Famous-pirates-of- the Caribbean : 5) Henry Avery 

5)Famous Pirates of the Caribbean : 6) Sir Henry Morgan

6)Norse Goddess Freya - a Silver 2 Dollars High Relief antiquated Coin , the first in the Series titled "Norse Goddesses" (2017)  


Links to posts on issues from the Republic of Palau:

2) Four Leaf Clover - Coin titled "Silver Fortune" - A 5 Dollars Silver coin issued by Coin Invest Trust in 2018


3) Totem Pole 2 Oz. or 10 Dollars Silver coin from the Republic of Palau being issued on 12.06.2018


4) The "Maneki Neko Cat" ot the "Fortune Cat" : A $1 Gold Coin issued by the Republic of Palau: Minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich for Coin Invest Trust in 2018


5) "Tree of Life", Palau: First Coin in a new Coin Series titled "Dot Art" features "Pointillism", an Art Technique of the 1800s: A Silver Black Proof $20 Coin minted with Smartminting Technology, coordinated by Numiscollect: Date of Coin issue: 05/2020

Links to Posts on coin issues from Niue Islands:


1) Battle of Marathon: Battles that changed History Coin Series: A $2 Silver coin issued by the New Zealand Mint of behalf of Niue Islands in 2018


2) Sachin Tendulkar: "World's Greatest Batsman": Gold & Silver coins issued by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Islands in 2015


3) The "Red Dragon", an issue from Niue Island: minted by the New Zealand Mint: "The Mythical Dragons of the World Coin Series": The first Silver 5 Dollars selectively coloured Coin in the Series features the "Red Dragon of Vortigern": Year of issue: 2019

4) "The Four Dragons", Niue Island: Minted by the New Zealand Mint: The "Mythical Dragons of the World Coin Series": The second Silver 5 Dollars Selectively Coloured Coin in the Series features the Four Dragons: the Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon and the Pearl Dragon: Year of issue: 2019

5) The "1001 Arabian Nights Tales": First $2 Silver crown Coin coin in the Series depicts the "story of Ali Baba and the 40 thieves": Coin issue date: 29.03.2019

6) Niue Island: "The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor": The "1001 Arabian Nights Tales": The Second Coin in the Series features the story of Sindbad the Sailor, on a $2 Silver Crown Coin issued by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Island in the South Pacific: Issue date: 05/2019

7) Birds of Paradise, Niue Islands: A 1 Oz Silver $2 Coin minted by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Islands: Coin minting Year: 2020

8) The "Norse Dragon" (or Dreki"), Niue Island: The "Mythical Dragons of the World Coin Series": Minted by the New Zealand Mint: The third Silver 5 Dollars Selectively Coloured Coin in the Series features the Norse Dragon: Date of Coin issue: 14.02.2020

9) "Tyrannosaurus Rex", Niue Island: First Coin in the Coin Series titled - "Dinosaur Coin Collection": A $2 One Oz. Silver Coin minted by the New Zealand Mint on behalf of Niue Island: Year: 2020


Links to posts on Coin issues from Solomon Islands:

1) Remembering the Fallen during World War I (1914-1918), Solomon Islands: A 5 Ounce Silver $10 Coin depicting a field of Red Poppies

2) Solomon Islands: 250th Anniversary of Captain James Cook's first Pacific "Voyage of Discovery" and charting of New Zealand and Australia's East Coast: Date of issue: 2020

3) Currency and Coinage of the Solomon Islands: Dollars and Cents

Other links to interesting posts on Coins brought out by Coin Invest Trust on behalf of other countries:








23) Manannan, the First King of Isle of Man or Mann: A Silver 5 Pounds Coin brought out by the Isle of Man in collaboration with Coin Invest Trust (CIT) and minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich

24) Arowana Dragon Fish, Republic of Palau: A Silver $10 (Dollars) Coin brought out by Coin Invest Trust (CIT) for the Republic of Palau, minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich: Issue year: 2019


25)"Estacado" - Meteorite Impacts Coin Series: 2 Dollars Titanium-Silver Coin issued by the Cook Islands in co-ordination with Coin Invest Trust (CIT) and minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt GmbH issued in 08/2019
26) Peter Carl Faberge: 100th Anniversary of his passing away (1920-2020): Coin invest Trust (CIT) has issued a commemorative silver coin of 1000 Togrog on behalf of the Republic of Mongolia, featuring Faberge's "Apple Blossom Egg", the biggest and most well known of his creations: Coin issue date/Year: 2020 

27) All Hallows Eve' (or "Hallowe'en") Coin Republic of Palau: $1 Gold Coin issued by Coin Invest Trust on behalf of the Republic of Palau: Coin minted by B.H. Mayer's Kunstprageanstalt, Munich: Year of issue: 2019


The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:

Links on Batman and Superman Posts on this Blog:



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