{"product_id":"gold-rush-2026-1-1oz-silver-proof-coin","title":"Gold Rush 2026 $1 1oz Silver Proof Coin","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OdEFocfTHtk?si=-WBq78qhlPLFblGB\" height=\"315\" width=\"560\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eIssued to coincide with the 175\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e anniversary of the greatest outbreak of ‘gold fever’ in Australian history, the Gold Rush 2026 $1 1oz Silver Proof Coin is defined by purity, presentation and strictly limited availability. The mintage is just 500 coins!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eStruck to immaculate Proof quality from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver, this legal tender tribute is graced with perhaps the most recognisable, most iconic image of any Gold Rush. Depicting a miner panning for gold, hoping to strike it rich, one instantly thinks of the many Gold Rushes of the 19\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century. More gold was produced during the 19\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century than in the previous 5,000 years, in large part due to the Australian Gold Rush, which began exactly 175 years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eSure to spark a new Gold Rush amongst collectors around the globe, the launch of the Gold Rush 2026 $1 1oz Silver Proof Coin also coincides with the 130\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e anniversary of Canada’s 1896 Klondike Gold Rush, 165\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e anniversary of New Zealand’s 1861 Otago Gold Rush and 140\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e anniversary of South Africa’s 1886 Witwatersrand Gold Rush!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eWith the worldwide mintage a mere 500 coins, immediate action is a must. Click add to cart now!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Gold Rush – a watershed in Australian history…\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eMore gold was produced during the 19\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e century than in the preceding 5,000 years. The huge mining booms taking place around the world during this period took gold production to unprecedented heights, with Australia, of course, amongst the most significant sources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eGold was discovered in New South Wales in 1851, with the Gold Rush beginning in Victoria soon after. The initial boom lasted a decade and a half, with the total output for the first ten years a staggering £124 million worth of gold – £110 million from Victoria. A seminal moment in the creation of the Australian nation, the most obvious impact of the 1850s Gold Rush was on population.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAround 405,000 people inhabited the colonies in 1851 – by 1861 it had risen to well over one million. In Victoria, the centre of the rush for gold, the population rose from 75,000 to 540,000 in ten years. Whilst benefitting some regions, the positive impact of the Gold Rush was not universal. In South Australia, for example, the prospect of finding gold in the east led to a severe exodus, and the colony fell into a labour crisis, a currency shortage and near-bankruptcy as a result.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAfter the chaos of the outbreak of ‘gold fever’, the discovery of the world’s favourite precious metal had a galvanising impact across the soon-to-be nation. The resulting rapid growth in trade, agriculture, transport and communication necessitated a sharp focus on responsible government, with colonial administrations now faced with demands from a growing population for roads, rail, water, land reform and more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eForging a sense of national identity, sparking political awareness, and providing the wealth necessary for infrastructural development, the Gold Rush was the pivotal moment on Australia’s road to nationhood, ultimately achieved at Federation in 1901.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Downies Collectables","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49008381067572,"sku":"41565","price":359.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0843\/1815\/9156\/files\/41565-1.jpg?v=1771390322","url":"https:\/\/www.downies.com\/products\/gold-rush-2026-1-1oz-silver-proof-coin","provider":"Downies Collectables","version":"1.0","type":"link"}