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Australia George V

1917-I One Penny

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The 1917-I Penny was struck at the Calcutta Mint in India with a total mintage of 6,240,000. The variety features a small 'I' mint-mark located beneath the lower scroll on the reverse (see image below). The relatively high mintage ensures that the piece is quite affordable in lower grades, only becoming scarce around MS62 and higher. Collectors seeking an early mint-state example from the Penny series may find an affordable and attractive example from this year.

Following the introduction of Australia's first coinage in 1911 a shortage emerged. The shortage was further aggravated in 1914 when the Royal Mint in London was tasked with manufacturing military materials to assist the war effort. With a reduced ability to supply coins from London, the private mints of Heaton and Sons in Birmingham and the Calcutta branch of the Royal Mint were tasked with producing additional coins for Australia. From 1916 the production of silver coins was shifted to Melbourne and it was organised for copper pieces to be struck at the Indian branch of the Royal Mint in Calcutta. Calcutta continued to produced Australia's pennies until 1918. From 1919 production of copper pieces would also be shifted to Australia.