The Australian penny was a coin of the Australian pound, which followed the

£sd file:Guildhall Museum Collection- Drusilla Dunford Money Table Sampler 3304.JPG, A Sampler (needlework), sampler in the Rochester Guildhall, Guildhall Museum of Rochester, Medway, Rochester illustrates the conversion between pence and shillings ...

system. It was used in the

Commonwealth of Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands. It has a total area of , making it the sixth-largest country in ...

prior to

decimalisation Decimalisation or decimalization (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the conversion of a system of currency or of weights and measures to units related by Power of 10, powers of 10. Most countries have ...

in 1966. One Australian penny was worth

Australian shilling The shilling, informally called a "bob", was a type of silver coinage issued by the Commonwealth of Australia, that circulated prior to the decimalisation of Australian coinage. The Australian shilling was derived from the British pre-decimal st ...

, Australian florin,

Australian crown The monarchy of Australia is a key component of Australia's form of government, by which a hereditary monarch serves as the country's sovereign and head of state. It is a constitutional monarchy, modelled on the Westminster system of parlia ...

, and

Australian pound The pound (sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. Like other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol s o ...

. The coin was equivalent in its dimensions and value to the British pre-decimal

penny A penny is a coin (: pennies) or a unit of currency (: pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. At present, it is ...

, as the two currencies were originally fixed at par. The coin was introduced in 1911, while the last penny was minted in 1964. After decimalisation on 14 February 1966 the penny was equal to 0.8333 cents. The obverse of the coin featured the reigning Australian monarch. Three were featured:

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

and

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. All of the pennies bearing George VI and Elizabeth II had a kangaroo on the reverse. The kangaroo image was on the Australian half penny and has since been included on the dollar coin and the bullion silver kangaroo. During the George VI era, coins minted at

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

had a dot either at the end of the word "PENNY", after the word "AUSTRALIA" or in between the "K" and "G" above the end of the kangaroo's tail, while coins from

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

did not have a dot. An "I" under the bust of George VI denoted being minted in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and is only found on pennies and half pennies dated 1942 and 1943. A "PL" mintmark after "PENNY" denoted minting in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and is only found on the 1951 dated penny and half penny. This continued through the end of the coin's lifetime.

Types

Numismatics

The 1930 penny is one of the rarest Australian coins, due to a very small number being minted, and holds the record as the most valuable copper penny in the world. It is highly sought after by coin collectors, and a 1930 penny in very fine condition can be worth A$45,000 or more. The 1930 penny has remained Australia's most well-known rare coin ever since one was first discovered by Sydney coin collector Fritz Schaefer between 1940 and 1944. Other "hard to get" years include 1925 and 1946, although they are not as valuable as the 1930 penny. Lower-grade 1925 and 1946 pennies can be obtained for under $150. There are also some valuable

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

of the Australian penny. Most varieties arose as a result of either historical events that impacted normal operation of the country's coin mints or intended changes in the coin minting processes. For example, there is a cluster of 1931 penny varieties that evidences an experimental period of penny production at the

Melbourne Mint The Melbourne Mint, located on the corner of William and La Trobe Streets in Melbourne, Australia, was first established as a branch of the British Royal Mint, opening in 12 June 1872. The main building houses the administration offices, a ...

during the start of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. Another example is the cluster of 1920 penny varieties that evidences the transfer of dies from the Melbourne Mint to the

Sydney Mint The Sydney Mint in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is the oldest surviving public building in the Sydney central business district. Built between 1811 and 1816 as the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital, it was then known as the ''Rum Hospi ...

, which involved a series of experimental strikes in preparation for the first official pennies that were struck by the Sydney Mint in October 1920. Similarly, the 1952 cluster of penny varieties arose when the

Perth Mint The Perth Mint is Australia's official bullion mint and wholly owned by the Government of Western Australia. Established on 20 June 1899, two years before Australia's Federation in 1901, the Perth Mint was the last of three Australian colonia ...

began to produce its own pennies following a series of experimental strikes. While many penny varieties are common, there are some extremely rare and valuable examples, such as the 1930 English obverse penny and the 1920 English obverse penny with a dot above the bottom scroll.

Minting figures

The numbers below include specimens and proof issues, where mintage for them is known. Counting these, a total of 814,788,088 coins of the denomination were minted during its existence. *1911: 3,768,000 *1912: 3,600,000 *1913: 2,520,000 *1914: 720,000 *1915: 2,280,000 *1916: 3,324,000 *1917: 6,240,000 *1918: 1,200,000 *1919: 5,810,160 *1920: 9,041,600 *1921: 7,438,320 *1922: 12,697,440 *1923: 5,654,400 *1924: 4,665,840 *1925: 1,639,200 *1926: 1,860,000 *1927: 4,922,450 *1928: 3,038,400 *1929: 2,599,200 *1930: unknown (usually estimated around 1600) *1931: 494,400 *1932: 2,116,800 *1933: 5,817,600 *1934: 5,808,100 *1935: 3,724,900 *1936: 9,890,400 *1937: 12 (unreleased pattern) *1938: 5,552,650 *1939: 6,240,000 *1940: 5,188,800 *1941: 14,382,800 *1942: 21,244,800 *1943: 53,198,400 *1944: 29,942,000 *1945: 15,172,806 *1946: 240,000 *1947: 11,174,400 *1948: 28,150,000 *1949: 27,064,800 *1950: 57,846,800 *1951: 52,128,000 *1952: 57,922,000 *1953: 13,138,816 *1955: 17,447,101 *1956: 25,994,917 *1957: 15,979,112 *1958: 24,443,334 *1959: 16,048,136 *1960: 20,516,230 *1961: 30,608,240 *1962: 34,852,664 *1963: 10,259,660 *1964: 64,590,000 *1965: none ever sighted

References

External links

Coins from Australia / Coin Type: Penny - Online Coin ClubOne Penny , Blue SheetHistory of the 1930 Penny
{{Australian currency Coins of Australia

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

1911 establishments in Australia 1964 disestablishments in Australia

Types

Numismatics

Minting figures

References

Further reading

External links