The Royal Australian Mint has issued a series of coins recalling the "convict love tokens" of the 18th and 19th centuries, which were given to families in England after loved ones were banished to Australia and elsewhere following criminal convictions.

The National Museum of Australia has the world's largest collection of these pieces and provides the following overview of their purpose and context:

The Royal Australian Mint has released three of these new one-dollar coins, which are available individually for $24.95 AUD or as part of a three-coin set that costs $65.00. Each coin is composed of 14.30 grams of copper, measures 33.04 mm in diameter, features an Uncirculated finish, and has a mintage limit of 30,000 pieces. The reverse designs for the coins are as follows:

The coins share a common obverse design, which features Ian Rank-Broadley's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, with the inscriptions ELIZABETH II, AUSTRALIA 2016, and 1 DOLLAR placed along the rim.

To read the complete article, see:
Australia Issues Historical "Convict Love Tokens" Series (http://news.coinupdate.com/australia-issues-historical-convict-love-tokens-series/)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
CONVICT LOVE TOKENS? (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n33a10.html)
CONVICT LOVE TOKEN BOOK AVAILABLE (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v06n37a04.html)