Thanks for that o sung wu. interesting it is. I did know there were coins in circulation from early times (1788). I'll give Macquarie the credit of "producing" Australia's first uniquely Australian coinage. Interesting that at the time the "official" cash liquidity of the colony was set at around $25,000 in today terms.
from early records, it seems rum was valued at 2 pounds/gallon. A wife could be "purchased" for 4 gallons of rum. A little correction the Spanish Dollars used by Macquarie were actually Mexican (Spanish) Dollars. 10,000 pounds worth arrived on board H.M.S. Samarang in 1812, how they were obtained I don't know.

o sung wu,

"I'll be shot for carrying on 'OFF Topic' as I have! My apologies IS MISE."

Only with a blank!

Where would we be if it were not for the often very interesting (as this is) 'Off Topics'?

Thanks a lot...PAUL1405.