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Australia George V

1919 Double Dot One Penny

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The 1919 double dot penny variety was struck in Australia. The exact mintage figure for the variety is unknown however it has an estimated mintage of only 20,000 to 40,000 pieces. The year has three varieties that are differentiated by small beads located around the scrolls on the reverse. The first variety has no dots, the second has a dot above the top scroll and a dot below the lower scroll (double dot), the final variety featuresa single dot below the lower scroll. The double dot is by far the most scarce of the varieties and demands very high prices across all grades as a result. Where the coin becomes rare is in top grades with only two known examples that display mint lustre, one of which sold in IAG Auction 72 for $12,230. (Sterling & Currency, 2010)

Double dots on a 1919 Double Dot Penny.

The 1919 pennies minted in Melbourne and Sydney used dies from various sources: the London Mint (completed dies), the Melbourne Mint (cloned dies based on the London dies), and the Calcutta Mint (half-finished, unhardened dies that were completed by the Melbourne Mint). The dot below lower scroll variety shows variations in the position and size of the dot. The dot can be large or small and its position is determined by its vertical distance from the scroll, as well as whether it is right, left, or in-line with the centre of the scroll. What these dots indicate is a topic of debate with a key article by John Sharples from the Museum of Victoria conceding that exactly what they indicate is unknown. (John Sharples, 1985)