Although the connection is not immediately obvious, the Macquarie Group's logo is based on the holey dollar, Australia's first coin. These silver coins were introduced 200 years ago, in 1813, appropriately by Governor Lachlan Macquarie.

Faced with a severe shortage of local currency, Macquarie had the bright idea of buying 40,000 Spanish silver dollars from the East India Company in Madras. He transformed them into local currency by punching a hole in each coin, creating an outer circular ring and an inner disc. The outer ring was re-stamped ''New South Wales'' to become the 1813 holey dollar with a value of five shillings. The inner disc was also re-stamped to become the 1813 dump, with a value of 15 pence.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie and the holey dollar.

The conversion was done by a convicted forger, William Henshall.

When the Macquarie Group decided to stage an exhibition of these coins to mark the anniversary, it recruited Belinda Downie, managing director of Coinworks in Melbourne.