The Grand Duchy of Avram is a

micronation A micronation is a political entity whose members claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state, but which lacks legal recognition by world governments or major international organizations. Micronations are classified se ...

founded in the early 1980s by

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

John Charlton Rudge John the Duke of Avram (born John Charlton Rudge) (born 12 March 1944) is the titular head of the Grand Duchy of Avram, an Australian micronation. He also served one term in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, representing the Liberal Party in the s ...

, who styles himself the "Grand Duke of Avram".

Royal Bank of Avram

The public manifestation of the Duchy was the Royal Bank of Avram, which at one time operated from retail premises owned by Rudge in

George Town, Tasmania George Town (Palawa_kani: ''kinimathatakinta'') is a large town in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. The Australian Bureau of Statistics records the George Town Council, George Town Municipal Area had a pop ...

, and which still issues its own banknotes and coinage and platinum 1 ounce coins. This enterprise was later relocated to Strahan, on Tasmania's west coast. Customers were required to exchange Australian currency for the Avram equivalents in order to obtain the currency. The Bank still operates today. Due to its lack of a licence, the Avram Bank attracted the attention of the Australian government, who confiscated Rudge's entire currency reserves and initiated proceedings against him in the Australian Federal Court system. After a total of six court cases, costing the federal government around A$22 million, the courts ruled that Rudge had not engaged in any illegal activity, and ordered the return of all the confiscated property, though some disappeared in Federal Custody and later appeared on the market. Rudge was permitted to resume his banking practices. He has issued several sets of coins and banknotes in the name of the Royal Bank of Avram since the 1980s (the most recent of which are dated 2008) and has told the media that the bank operates from a number of unspecified sites inside and outside of Tasmania.

Krause Publications Krause Publications is an American publisher of hobby magazines and books. Originally a company founded and based in Iola, Wisconsin, they relocated to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, in April 2018. The company was started by Chester L. Krause (19232 ...

' ''Unusual World Coins'' notes that since Rudge was found to be not guilty, "his Royal Bank must be considered a legal institution". The coins were " enameled on goldine plated metal", and issued in various denominations up to 250 decals. 100 Ducals is equal to 1 Avram, which is 1/30th ounce of gold.

John Charlton Rudge

Rudge was elected as a member of the

Tasmanian House of Assembly The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Hobart. The Assembly has 25 m ...

, representing the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

in the seat of

Lyons Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of th ...

. He served a single term and held the position of Shadow Minister for Construction. Rudge later served as a councillor and deputy

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of the municipal council of Sorell under his legal name as agreed by Justice Pierre Slicer in one of his decisions. Rudge claims dozens of "noble" and "religious" titles (among them "Earl of Enoch" and "Cardinal Archbishop of The Royal See"), which he asserts are of ancient origin. He also claims to be the grand master of a handful of ancient

orders of chivalry An order of chivalry, order of knighthood, chivalric order, or equestrian order is an order of knights, typically founded during or inspired by the original Catholic military orders of the Crusades ( 1099–1291) and paired with medieval concep ...

, and to travel on an Australian

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...

that lists his various titles including an Australian "Official" passport. The Duchy of Avram has never claimed territory in the manner of other Australian micronations such as the

Hutt River Province The Principality of Hutt River, often referred to by its former name, the Hutt River Province, was a micronation in Australia. The principality claimed to be an independent sovereign state, founded on 21 April 1970. It was dissolved on 3 Augus ...

. As of 2008, Rudge was living in Sorell, and said that his duchy was "philosophical, not territorial".

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Duchy of Avram Avram States and territories established in the 1980s Culture of Tasmania Dukedoms

Royal Bank of Avram

John Charlton Rudge

See also

References

Further reading

External links