The Kangaroo design continued into this type right until the introduction of decimal currency with the conclusion of the
half penny series in 1964. This type features a slightly reworded obverselegend, ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F:D
('Elizabeth II, by the grace of god, queen, defender of the faith'), after public outcry that the previous type omitted FIDEI
DEF ('defender of the faith').
All dates in the series are easy to acquire in mint state, although the Perth mint issues from
1960 to 1964 are very difficult to find in higher mint state grades due to poor strikes and the
unattractive salmon pink colour found on un-toned examples. The 1959 Melbourne is often found well struck up and showing
bright red mint brilliance as several mint rolls were found, however,
it is still difficult to find beyond MS65. The Melbourne mint struck the 1959 half penny; all later years were struck at
the Perth mint and feature a dot after the 'Y' of 'PENNY'.
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