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Australia George V

1919 One Penny

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The 1919 Penny was struck at the Melbourne Mint to a total mintage of 5,810,160. 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 features a single dot below the lower scroll. The plain 1919 is quite similar to many of years in this series; somewhat scarce in all grades but not demanding very high values until MS62.

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)

Example of the 'dot below' on a 1919 Dot Below Proof Penny.