In a recent article I advised that I had a recent win in Adelaide where I found some three buck notes to add to my collection of funny money. Best of all they did not cost me anything. The Adelaide Exchange Jewellers are still using the basic idea and I walked away with a fist full of three buck notes and a total of four varieties.
As I had another 3 buck note and a 3 buck coin, I then resolved to make up a short article especially as the editor is starting to look a little frazzled and is muttering about lack of articles. I’m sure he will get over it eventually but just in case I started work.
One of the problems with attempting to work in the exonumia area of numismatics is that material can be hard to come by. So straight to W. A. who looked into his collection and brought me back the bad news. That is, not only are there 3 buck notes, but 4 and 30 buck notes have also been issued. As a result I had to change the title of the article to cover for a few bucks more.
3 Buck Notes and a coin:
The older 3 buck notes have the Australian Gold Exchange on the obverse while the modern notes have Adelaide Exchange Jewellers. All of the notes have only one serial number IAN 00001*. I assume that Ian was the founding owner.
These companies are or were linked in some way as recorded on the reverse of the notes. For example the Melbourne Company is the Australian Gold Exchange. On notes that were used in Adelaide, we have the Adelaide Coin Exchange in Rundle Arcade (© Australian Gold Exchange Melbourne), then the Adelaide Exchange in Stephens Place but with the same telephone number as the Adelaide Coin Exchange, and finally the Adelaide Exchange Jewellers also in Stephens Place with the same telephone number.
From the limited sample available the following is suggested as the general order of usage:
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Note 1: Australian Gold Exchange Melbourne (03) 63 2544 |
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Note 2: Australian Gold Exchange Melbourne (03) 650 2544 |
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Note 3: Adelaide Coin Exchange (© Australian Gold Exchange Melbourne) Rundle Arcade (08) 212 2496 |
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Note 4: Adelaide Exchange Stephens Place (08) 212 2496 (Rare as a three buck Note) |
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Note 5: Adelaide Exchange Stephens Place (08) 212 2496 (Jewellery Sale Now On) |
The Adelaide Exchange Jewellers, according to its website, was established in 1984 in Adelaide, South Australia; its first store was situated in Stephens Place in the Adelaide CBD. Later in 1987, branches were established at Glenelg and then Tea Tree Plus Shopping Centre at Modbury, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. In 1998 the Tasmanian branch in Hobart was opened at the Cat & Fiddle Arcade. The modern n
otes refer to all four branches while the older notes only refer to Rundle Arcade and then Stephens Place. This places Note 3 prior to 1984 while Note 4 and 5 was issued prior to 1987.
The Australian Gold Exchange based in Melbourne, Bourke Street issued a 3 buck coin in 1986 and note 2 has extra digits added to the phone number given on Note 1. Not being from Melbourne I do not know when the change over occurred but the phone number change would provide some idea of relative date of issue for Notes 1 & 2.
3 Buck and 30 bucks – Taylors Coins & Curios
Never let a good idea get away and Western Australia’s Taylors Coins & Curios picked up the idea and with a new heading and a telephone serial number proceeded to have a go at other dealers on the reverse with the phrase: THERE ARE DEALERS AS PHONEY AS THIS THREE BUCK NOTE.
Perhaps words were had over use of the 3 buck note graphic as the next note is the 30 buck note with Honest Jim on the front. The phrase is changed to: THERE ARE DEALERS AS PHONEY AS THIS THIRTY BUCK NOTE.
The note is also much larger. More bucks, thus a larger note perhaps?
4 Buck Note- Adelaide South Australia
Grant Morton of A.A. Coins and Central Loan Co. also issued a note but I suggest that they opted to up the ante as the Adelaide Exchange was just down the road. Very clever alterations to the art work included South Australian references and of course Queen Adelaide instead of Captain Cook.
There are two separate notes that I know of: Pale pink DAB0001/ GCM00001 and Pale Blue DAB 00002/ GCM00002.
DAB is D. Bruce (?) of Central Loan Co. while GCM is Grant Morton of A.A. Coins
Note 1 has A.A. Coins at Stall 7 in the Adelaide Arcade while note 2 has them at Shop 33 Adelaide Arcade. Telephone numbers are the same prior to the addition of the extra 8 to South Australian numbers.
So as to who is the good, the bad or the ugly of the three, four and thirty buck note scene? I think I will leave it to you the collector to sort out.
Regards
M. C.