Australia - The 2010 Burke & Wills Stamp & Coin Cover

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The Burke & Wills, a 2010 Postal Numismatic Cover from Australia marking the 150th anniversary of Burke and Wills’ intrepid expedition containing a commemorative $0.60 Australia Post stamp showing the two heroes and one exclusive Perth Mint commemorative dollar coin.

The coin’s reverse portrays Burke and Wills as they are represented in Charles Summers’ sculpture on the corner of Melbourne’s Swanston and Collins Streets. The inscription BURKE & WILLS appears in the design with The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark. The coin is mounted on a card depicting The exploring party coming upon an encampment of natives, an oil painting by Henricus Leonardus van den Houten.

The coin and its card holder come in a superb Australia Post envelope portraying part of Samuel Calvert’s engraving entitled Exploration expedition, the start from Royal Park. The illustrated envelope also features a commemorative 60c stamp showing the two heroes, and a special post mark from Parkville, Vic., dated 3 August 2010.

Burke and Wills’ intrepid expedition left Melbourne for the Gulf of Carpentaria in August 1860. The first European settlers to cross the Australian continent from south to north, the heroes’ remarkable accomplishment turned to tragedy, however, when they perished on the return leg.