? The first year of Australia's copper coincided with the coronation of King George V in 1911, when the Royal mint London struck 2,832,060 half pennies and sent them by ship to Australia; Consequently the date often features numerous bagmarks and surface hairlines. The date is readily available in circulated grades though in mint state it's less common with only one notable hoard turning up, that being from a Baldwin's mint roll along with the 1912. Nevertheless, as the first year of ...
? Half sovereigns were struck at the Sydney, Melbourne and Perth mints from 1911 to 1920. Despite the relatively high proportion of surviving coins in AU or better, in recent times they have become difficult to acquire in true mint state condition, and beyond that very difficult, often being the victim of harsh cleaning or jewellery mounting. The George V half sovereign series was the sixth and final half sovereign series to be struck at Australian mints. The obverse, designed by Sir Edgar Bertram ...
? The 1921 half penny is one of the easiest half pennies of George V which is certainly reflected in its value. This is due to its relatively high initial mintage of just over 5 and a quarter million coins, but in higher grades this is assisted by the surfacing of at least two bank rolls creating some supply of mint state examples. The date is available right up to MS65 and sales at the $500-600 level as of 2010 make this coin an affordable type coin in higher mint state grades. Like ...
? Following the discovery of gold in Sydney, sovereigns were minted at the Sydney Mint from 1855 and continued until 1916. Prior to the discovery of gold, Australian colonies were reliant upon coins minted in Great Britain as these were the only coins recognised as having legal tender status . The 1850s Gold Rush affected not only the mintage of coins but also sudden population growth, particularly in Victoria. In turn, this demanded sudden developments in government administration ...
? The 1857 is one of the easier dates in the series with an initial mintage of 537,000, relative high for this era. This is complemented by a number of high grade examples surfacing from the India hoard . The date often features re-entered lettering, a technique employed by the Sydney mint to prolong the working life of dies though evidence of their overuse can be seen with numerous die cracks and other damage associated with overworked dies. Additionally ...