David Gee What Did He Really Copy

Why did the chicken cross the road?
To buy a book book book.

So all the genuine coins and dies that he pilfered; where are they now? Did he destroy them, bury them, pass them on to relatives or co conspirators or is there an overlooked safety deposit box somewhere holding it all?

There are a number of news media reports on the Gee matter. This is probably the best of them. The book gives a very good idea of Gee's activity but there is more.


Canberra Times 7th of May 1975
Charged on rare coins
PROPERTY OF MINT COURT REPORTS

Committal proceedings against a former Controller of the Royal Australian Mint who has been charged with stealing property of the Commonwealth of Australia, began in Queanbeyan Petty Sessions yesterday. Before Mr Leo, SM, was Mr James Miller Henderson, of 'Fairholme', Mount Fairy, NSW, charged with stealing five uniface copper restrikes belonging to the Commonwealth. He was alleged to have obtained dies of rare coins, 1852 £5 and £1 pieces, from the South Australian Government Assay Office for inclusion in The Mint collection. He allegedly had instructed staff to strike additional coins which he had removed and passed onto an associate, between May 13, 1971, and January1, 1972.Mr Henderson has been charged with three further offences of between November 1, 1967, and January 1, 1972, stealing six50 cent trial pattern pieces on or about December 20,1971, stealing two aluminium 50 cent trial pattern pieces; and between November 1, 1968, and January 1,1972, stealing four specimen1968 5 cent coins, four specimen 1968 10 cent coins, and four specimen1968 20 cent coins, all pieces and coins being the property of the Commonwealth of Australia. Detective Inspector N .Headland, of the Commonwealth Police, told the court that he and three other police officers had searched Mr Henderson's premises at 'Fairholme' on September 2, 1974, in relation to inquiries they were making into the loss or theft of 10 sovereigns from the Royal Australian Mint. Inspector Headland said Mr Henderson had said that the so Gee, Mr Henderson had said that Mr Gee had been a great help to him under the name of Mr Robert Low. Detective Inspector D. Thomas, of the Commonwealth Police, said that on September 2, 1974, Mr David Gee had been arrested in Sydney in connection with counterfeiting charges. Inspector Headland said he had told Mr Henderson that Mr Gee had in his possession a number of 12-sided 50 cent trial pattern pieces and that he had told another person that they had been given to him by his 'good mate Jim Henderson from The Mint'. Inspector Thomas said that he had gone to the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. Corner of Pitt and Hunter Streets, Sydney, on September 4, 1974, and had caused a safe deposit box, registered in the name of Wai Kau Low and Patricia Jeanette Low, of Neutral Bay, to be opened. He said it had contained a coin album in which were four specimen proof 1968 5 cent coins, four specimen proof 1968 10 cent coins and four specimen proof 1968 20 cent coins. On September 27, 1974, he had gone to the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Ltd, Hornsby, and had caused a large parcel, registered in the nameof Mr Warren Sing, to be opened. It had contained a brief case in which were six coin albums and a number of loose coins. One album had contained 13 50 cent pattern pieces, and another contained five uniface gold-plated copper restrikes, £1and £5 pieces, of the South Australian Government Assay Office, Adelaide. Inspector Thomas said that the accountant at the bank had identified a photograph of Mr Warren Sing as Mr David Gee. Mr J. Bullock, safe-deposit authenticating officer at" the Australian and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. Pitt and Hunter Streets, Sydney, said that on September 3, 1974, he had been shown a list of names and a photograph, which he identified as Mr Robert Low, by Commonwealth police officers.
'Under three names'
He said that Mr Low was the holder of three lockers in safe deposit under three names: S. and S. J. Lucas; W. K. and P. J. Low, and Robert and P. J. Low. He identified Mr David Gee in court as Mr Robert Low. Inspector Thomas said he had seen Mr Gee at the Sydney Offices of the Commonwealth Police Force, on October 9, 1974 and had asked him if the coins re-covered from the albums in the briefcase at the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Ltd, Hornsby, were his. He had replied, 'Yes'.
On March 4, 1975, Inspector Thomas said he had seen Mr Henderson at the offices of Sneddon, Halland Gallop, Canberra, and had told him that he had been making inquiries into the activities of Mr David Allen Gee who had been arrested and who had had in his possession a number of 50 cent pattern pieces which had been manufactured at the Royal Australian Mint at Mr Henderson's direction. .
Mr Henderson had made no reply and Inspector Thomas said he had formed the opinion that Mr Henderson was responsible for removing the 50 cent pattern pieces from the Mint. Mr John Bailey, the director of the Art Gallery of South Australia, said he had exchanged correspondence and had spoken to Mr Henderson by telephone in 1970 and 1971 about the borrowing by The Mint of five dies of 1852 £1 and £5 pieces from, the South Australian Government Assay Office. The care and control of the pieces was vested in the Art Gallery and its board had felt that more than the two sets of restrikes it had authorised had been made by Mr Henderson. Mr Bailey said that Mr Henderson had said in a report that an excess of coins had been struck, and the Art Gallery board felt these excess coins should be destroyed or returned to the art gallery. The hearing will continue today.

One would think Gee must have had something on him.

Rod Perry (RIP) once posted on a stamp forum.
"Oh, I didn't mention that Phil Downie also advised me that Gee curried favour with stamp and coin dealers in the 1950s/1960s, supplying girls, er, of the kind which one probably wouldn't have taken home to meet mum and dad."

A mint controller is a bit like a coin dealer.
Gee has a lot of leverage if Gee was getting him girls.

Some good stuff on Gee from his stamp days.
https://stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=44481

Suggested as gap fillers; gap fillers?
The real ones are seriously expensive and almost unique items.
I will just add that I do not recall any mention of these in the book (Heads I Win); the book is a not catalogue. I only mention it because people tend to say "is that in the book?"

I have been reading up on Peter Rosa.
The US 'equivalent' of Gee but perhaps even better.
He is called a reproductionist.
The primary difference between Rosa and Gee seems to be Rosa made a business of reproduction of rare pieces and never tried to pass his work off as genuine, he was always up front about pieces being reproductions.
I find it interesting that laws were made to stop Rosa doing what he was doing.
Rosa was frowned upon by some but celebrated by others.
Those who celebrated Rosa found it pleasing that quality reproductions of otherwise unattainable pieces were made available.
That is what I like about Gee's. His best work are quality pieces, pieces that only few can own a real example of and in a lot of case the real pieces are hidden away in museums.
Also interesting is Rosa's company Becker Reproductions seems named after Karl Becker an equally famous reproductionist of the late 1700's whose work was also of top quality.
Bought a nice 1813 'dump' by Rosa's at IAG tonight for just over $200.

Hi Billenben I have been heavily researching David Gees activities in Qld in the late 1990s and his associates regarding Fake perfin stamps that appeared. in 2004 Sydney Auction scene. Research has also incorporated his coin dealings even talking with his son after his death, his collection was broken up and sold Status, Noble, Spink that we know of there could have been more. These offerings contained many Fakes and genuine coins were believed to be stolen at some point by Gee. His MO was to create fakes meet collectors under one of his aliases and swap them out. He even had all of the names of the owners of the known 1930 penny's. Because of his reputation in Australia Much of his material was distributed to various auction houses around the world

Any thoughts about this ebay listing https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/227107966193 of a supposed David Gee copy of a 1854 Kangaroo Office 2 oz piece?