The 1934 half penny is one of the more common dates in the series but one should not underestimate how difficult the coin is to acquire in MS64 and higher. The coin typically suffers from surface hairlines which tend to preclude higher gradings and it is the only year of the 1930s that is occasionally struck up with missing detail. The cause here isn't a weak strike however, but rather from details being polished off the dies. Missing band detail on the obverse of a 1934 half ...
In 1945, Australia's pennies were intended to be produced solely at the Perth mint but when the Melbourne mint prepared the dies it became clear that the 1937 master dies were worn beyond any usefulness and new dies were prepared dated 1945 . Four proof strikes were prepared by the Melbourne mint before working dies were shipped to Perth. The Melbourne mint retained all 4 coins which were later transferred to the Museum of Victoria. In July, 1988 the ...
The George V shilling series, lasting throughout George V's reign from 1911 to 1936, features the Australian coat of arms with ADVANCE AUSTRALIA across the scroll, SHILLING up the top, and the year of issue down the bottom. The obverse features the crowned bust of King George V facing to the left and the legend, GEORGIVS V D.G. BRITT : OMN : REX F. D. IND : IMP . Like most George V series, this a very popular series to collect. In lower grade, all dates can be acquired at reasonable ...
The Type II Shield sovereign features the Imperial shield design on the reverse paired with William Wyon's portrait of Queen Victoria on the obverse. It differs from the Type I Shield sovereign by the designer's initials, WW appearing raised within the truncation beneath the bust. It differs from the Type III Shield sovereign by having a larger bust. A key identification point is illustrated below. The mint of this issue can be identified by a mintmark beneath the shield on ...
The Ian-Rank Broadley portrait of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II was introduced to the fifty cent in 1999 providing a more mature face of the Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Other than this, the Type III Fifty Cent is identical to previous issues with Australia's coat of arms on the reverse around the digit 50. A number of different strike types were issued along side the standard business strike, specimen strike and proof strike. From 2001, the Royal Australian mint intermittently ...
Collecting old Australian coins provides a fascinating glimpse into Australia's history through its circulating coinage. While there is a general impression that old coins are too expensive for new collectors to collect that couldn't be further from the truth. For just a few dollars you could obtain a later year mint-state pre-decimal coin, and for less than the cost of a modern proof set you can purchase a George V (1911-1936) pre-decimal coin.
The debate on certified coins vs uncertified coins has been going on in Australia since PCGS first reached the mainstream Australian market back in 2008. While today most Australian coin collectors favour PCGS graded coins, a recent incident has reaffirmed the importance of and buying certified coins and valuing them first, especially when buying on-line.
By far the most common question we get asked is "what is my coin worth?" Perhaps you found a few old coins which is why you're here reading this article. Maybe you're a seasoned collector already looking to get more precise values for your coins than the printed catalogues can offer. Perhaps you're an investor looking to value your coin portfolio. This guide will cover all of that.
Although Australia had been a nation since 1901, it wasn't until 1910 that her first official coins were produced. While the Melbourne mint was producing sovereigns and half sovereigns at the time, these were technically Imperial British coins. The first coins issued specifically for Australia were struck in silver and of the denominations threepence, sixpence, shilling, and florin. These featured the Australian Coat of Arms on the reverse and the crowed bust of King Edward VII on the obverse.
The discovery of gold in the colony New South Wales in 1851 prompted a surge of immigration among prospectors seeking wealth in the new colony. This lead to the production of half sovereigns in Sydney as of 1855. Only 3.3 million half sovereigns were produced from 1855 to 1869 resulting in individual years being very scarce and valuable. To add to this, the high bullion content of Sydney mint half sovereigns, which were alloyed with silver, compared with their British counterparts, which were alloyed with copper...
