One of Australia’s most divisive figures, Edward “Ned” Kelly is thought of as either a folk hero or a multiple murderer. After the attempted murder of a police officer in 1878, the authorities went on a manhunt for Kelly, his brother, and two associates during which they fatally shot three policemen.

The Kelly gang then went on to murder a police informant and commit multiple armed robberies before being cornered on 28 June 1880 at Glenrowan by the Victoria Police. In the shootout that followed, three of the Kelly Gang and two civilians were killed, one an 11 year old boy caught in Crossfire. Ned Kelly survived, wearing the famous plate armour suit for which he is inextricably linked, only to be hung at Melbourne Gaol on 11 November 1880. His armour and death mask are on display in Victoria today.

One interesting fact is that the 60 minute film The Story of the Kelly Gang, released in Australia in 1906, is considered the world’s first dramatic feature film. No doubt this helped increase the legend of this controversial character. The Wikipedia article on Ned Kelly is particularly interesting if you’re interested.

The coin takes the most well-known element of the Ned Kelly folklore, his armour-plated helmet and places it on a background representing the Old Melbourne Gaol. It’s a pretty cool iconic design for a character that has grown in recognition internationally over the last couple of decades. Mounted on a numbered card full of Ned Kelly information, the Tuvalu-issued coin will sell for $24.95 AUD. At just 1/10oz the premium is significant, but easy to overlook for the collector, and we don’t doubt the Perth Mint struck coin will be beautifully made. Released on 2 March but available to pre-order now.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

Thought to be either a victim of Police Harassment or, conversely, a brutal cold-blooded murderer, the story of Ned Kelly and his capture following a gunfight in Glenrowan has become part of Australia’s folklore. Depicting Ned’s famous ‘bulletproof” helmet this 99.9% PURE SILVER coin also pays tribute to the Old Melbourne Gaol where Edward “Ned” Kelly met his ultimate demise in 1880. Such is Life!

A highly detailed, premium collectable, the Tuvalu 2015 Ned Kelly Silver Coin has been struck by The Perth Mint on behalf of Melbourne Mint to Proof quality as part of a ridiculously small Limited Edition of just 5,000 coins.

The perfect gift for anyone interested in Australian History, this pure silver commemorative is appropriately housed in an informative, full colour presentation pack.