Home » Shop » 2014 Australian Posters of World War I Enlistment 1oz Silver Proof Rectangle Coin

2014 Australian Posters of World War I Enlistment 1oz Silver Proof Rectangle Coin

$105.00 AUD

Availability: 3 in stock

SKU: 2014ENLISTMENTPOSTERS-24L Category:
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A very nice take on an old theme is presented in this unique coin.

The coin itself is suspended between 2 clear layers of latex film, stretched out within a sturdy frame.  

Packaging is the usual high quality Perth Mint offering with outer and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Certificate numbers may vary from those displayed.

The reverse of this rectangular coin features a coloured representation of the 1914 propaganda poster ‘A Call from the Dardanelles’, headed by the inscription, AUSTRALIAN ENLISTMENT. 

The Perth Mint’s traditional ‘P’ mint mark, and the coin’s weight and fineness also appear in the design elements.

Reproductions of World War I posters are available from the Australian War Memorial.

The Dardanelles were formerly known as Hellespont or literally “Sea of Helle” with Helle in this case meaning “Light”) and is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. 

SKU

Denomination

Design

Coin Specifications:

Iconic Enlistment Poster Reverse Design
Rectangluar-Shaped Coin
Australian Legal Tender
Stunning Presentation Packaging
Numbered Certificate of Authenticity
First Release in New Five-Coin Series

Silver Content (Troy oz)    1.00
Monetary Denomination (AUD)    1
Fineness (% purity)    99.9
Minimum Gross Weight (g)    31.135
Maximum Diameter (mm)      47.60 x 27.60
Maximum Thickness (mm)    4.00
Maximum Mintage    5,000
Designer    Wade Robinson

 

History

At the beginning of World War I most Australians still considered themselves to be Britons and when the call to war went out to support Britain then the Australians and New Zealanders were quick to sign up.  The promise of travel at Government expense, seeing foreign lands, experiencing exotic places and being able to do so in the company of other young men was an irresistible lure for many, particularly those that worked in the remote areas in Australia on farms and stations.  Mate ship, adventure and a chance to see the world.  An ongoing series of propaganda posters were produced to urge young men to jump aboard and sign up. As in this poster, ” A Call From The Dardanelles”, recruiting for the campaign in Gallipoli. Taken from a poster at the Australian War Museum in Canberra the poster shows an Aussie digger with one foot on the side of the Gallipoli Peninsula and the other on the Asian mainland. the great aussie bush cry “Coo-ee” is cleverly employed as a call for one and all to respond. As time passed, the long lists of Australian casualties increased, and the grim reality of war set in. Sir Ian Hamilton’s Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was not successful in its attempts to capture the Gallipoli peninsula and eventually retreated.  8,700 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders died in the Gallipoli action and this coin serves their remembrance well.

Although the Gallipoli campaign resulted in heavy casualties and ultimately ended in withdrawal for the Allies, the campaign became strongly linked with the emergence of national identity in Australia and New Zealand. Through the manner in which the Australian and New Zealand soldiers endured the hardships of battle, the image that has become synonymous with the word “digger” has become linked with the concept of the Anzac legend, embodying the qualities of “endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humor, and mate ship”. In Australia, as the nation became more industrialized and urbanized, the term later assumed the qualities previous ascribed to the “bushman”, including traits such as “hardiness, democratic spirit, mate ship and resourcefulness”.

*Some historical information taken from Wikipedia for educational purposes only.

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