Sovereign Story

John J Caulton

This is the story of this Sydney minted half sovereign minted in 1861.

In 1940 I bought it from a roadman – (name unknown) who had dug it out of a ditch at a place called Bonny Glen, near Marton, New Zealand.

I had volunteered for the R.N.Z.A.F. in 1940 and entered camp in April 1941.

I carried the half sovereign in a gold case with a miniature photo of a girlfriend and a St Christopher medal on a chain with my identity tags, from 1941 until the end of my Airforce service in 1946.

For over two years I flew Spitfires in 132 (Bombay) Squadron in England. On the 29th April 1944 I was shot down in a head-on attack with a Messerschmitt at Arnhiem [Arnheim]. Airman P.O.W’s went down the line which led firstly to the Interrogation Centre called Dulag Luft at Frankfurt. The second day I was taken to a second cell and told to strip. After I started to strip, 1 suddenly remembered my half sovereign. As I had been injured, I slowly removed my clothes and when I got to the embarrassing stage I turned my back on the German under officer and slowly unclipped my locket and dropped the coin into my half closed right hand. Then I turned round embarrassed, with my legs crossed. This seemed to amuse the soldier who was busy looking for silk maps and tearing a hidden compass button off my battle dress jacket with a pair of pliers but didn’t look at my half closed hand where the coin lay.

I had other strip searches to and from hospital and Stalag Luft III so I was henceforth aware, placing the coin in my mouth each time, then returning it to the locket.

So there the story ends.

On my return to New Zealand in 1946 it was lain in a box.

One other small recollection is as a poorly paid sgt pilot at six pound ten shillings a fortnight, until I was commissioned, I had on many occasions been tempted to cash it – not having any idea that a Sydney minted 1861

half sovereign was quite rare and valuable. The mark on Queen Victoria‘s neck is the mark made by the workman‘s shovel when he dug it up at Bonny Glen near Marton.

Signed … [J.J. Caulton]

John J Caulton

P.S. F/LT NZ 414243
The most consecutive service number issued to a New Zealand Airman. The 41 denotes the year of entry.

This is to certify that this is a true copy of the original document which I have sighted.
Australia Fair Signing Centre Date 4.8.06 QJA

I have numbered and initialled each page of this 2 paged document being a true copy of the original 2 paged document that I have sighted

[…]

LOT No. 242 Australia 1861 Half Sovereign
Victoria, second type, Sydney Mint. A superior coin and RARE in this quality. Two minute rim nicks, pleasing surfaces. One for either date or type collectors.
EF Plus/aUNC $1800.00

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