This coin has recently come into my possession and although it is an old coin, it has a unique story behind it that is more intriguing than the coin itself. It was believed that the entire mintage in 1827 was sent out to Australia from Britain, in particular to Tasmania.

Now the story becomes stranger here as there are differing accounts of its history from this point, the first was that the ship sank off the coast of Tasmania and the mintage was affected by salt and most coins were lost to corrosion.

The second was that the sea spray affected the coins which were stored on the decks of the boat.

Either way, I like this coin because this was the year that Willow Court’s construction started. It replaced a wooden structure that housed invalid convicts that was reported to be in bad condition in the early 1820’s, and it is what we are preserving today. It is so nice to have something that was about when Willow Court started its long history.

It is likely that a few of these pennies rattled around in the pockets of the staff and residents of Willow Court. It is nice to know the providence of a historical item and I look forward to hearing the stories that Willow Court has for us when it opens.