A rare silver coin has been returned to Republic of Poland representative, Deputy Minister, Marta Cienkowska at a ceremony in Canberra.
Dating back more than 200 years, the coin was bought lawfully by a collector in the early 20th century and donated to a museum in Toruń where it became a protected object of Poland.
It was stolen from the museum's collection between 2011 and 2016, sold in two auctions in Europe, and then made its way to Australia through unlawful export.
Acting on advice from the Office for the Arts and a restitution request from the Republic of Poland, the coin was seized by the Australian Federal Police under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 in August 2024, enabling its return.
The 1813 Holey Dollar is an example of coins used in the colony of New South Wales to address a currency shortage.
Originally a Charles III Spanish Silver Dollar minted in Mexico in 1777, it was one of 40,000 Spanish reales imported by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The centre was cut out to create two new coins and the outer ring became known as the 'Holey Dollar'.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the handover showed Australia was serious about upholding diplomatic and international treaty commitments.
"I want to recognise the expertise of everyone involved in this great outcome for both countries, from tracking this object to seizing it.
"It's important that we continue to work together to return culturally significant objects to their rightful homes. Their value can be expressed not only in monetary terms but through telling our shared history and stories."
