A historic coin worth $525,000 that was stolen from a Polish museum has finally been returned by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) after it ended up in the hands of a Perth collector.
The 1813 Holey Dollar coin was stolen from a museum collection in Toruń, Poland, sometime between 2011 and 2018, leading Polish authorities to run a global investigation to track it down.
They discovered it had been exported into Germany, where it was offered for sale in two auctions.
It then made its way to Melbourne, Australia, where it was sold at auction to an Australian collector in Perth for $525,000.
The AFP, in cooperation with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, seized the coin in Perth on August 26 last year after the owner was identified through the most recent seller, an Australian company specialising in rare coins.
The coin was then surrendered to the AFP willingly.
“It is not expected any Australian-based individuals will face criminal charges, as all local transactions were made in good faith,” an AFP spokesperson said.
“All parties were unaware at the time the coin had been stolen.”
The coin was formally returned to representatives of the Polish government by Arts Minister Tony Burke on behalf of the Australian government at a ceremony at the Embassy of Poland on February 14.
It is believed to be the first time Australian law enforcement has arranged the return of a cultural object to the European nation.
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The coin is significant to Poland, and the Regional Museum of Toruń, for historical, cultural, and monetary reasons.
It was struck from a Spanish silver dollar minted at the Mexico Mint in 1777 during the reign of King Charles III of Spain.
It is also of significance to Australia as Holey Dollars were created to address a shortage of coins in the then-colony of New South Wales.
Marcin Kawałowski, Poland’s chargé d’affaires in Australia, praised the AFP’s efforts to have the object returned to his country.
“As a diplomat, I obviously recognise the importance of official agreements and political declarations, but it gives me great satisfaction when I can witness the practical dimension of successful bilateral cooperation,” he said.
