Inside the Vault

Ochre trading, convict love tokens, holey dollars, cartwheel pennies, florins, shillings and pence, dollars and cents …
For the first time, Inside the Vault uncovers the fascinating story of the nation’s currency. Bestselling author Peter Rees traces significant events – the Rum Rebellion, the gold rushes, the opening of the Royal Australian Mint, and the introduction of decimal currency in 1966 – and their effect on Australia’s coinage. Lavishly illustrated, Inside the Vault includes never-before-seen design sketches and images of rare Australian coins, along with stunning archival images of important events and people in the history of Australian coinage.

Peter Rees has been a federal political correspondent for some of Australia’s major metropolitan newspapers, and is the author of Anzac Girls and Bearing Witness: The remarkable life of Charles Bean, Australia’s greatest war correspondent.