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2005 Missing Counterstamp Gallipoli Lest We Forget Dollar

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As with many previous years, in 2005 the Royal Australian Mint struck a non-circulating one dollar coin that was available to counterstamp and purchase at locations throughout Australia. In 2005 the one dollar coin was commemorating 90 years since the beginning of the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, and besides being available to counterstamp in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne (with B, S and M counterstamps respectively), it was also available for counterstamping at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra with a G counterstamp.

Around 40,000 coins were counterstamped at each location, however a small number escaped with no counterstamp. McDonald said 2 examples were known in 2013 and that one appeared to have been released at the Australian War Memorial (p160, McDonald, 2014 Pocket Guide to Australian Coins and Banknotes, 2013). In March 2023 Drake Sterling offered an example for sale with the note that fewer than 10 were known, though it did not state at which location the example was released (Eigner, https://www.drakesterling.com/australia-2005-gallipoli-one-dollar-missing-counterstamp-pcgs-ms66-45315100).