Coins of the Australian pound

Federation in 1901 gave the Commonwealth a constitutional power to issue coins and removed this power from the States. However, British coins continued in use until 1910, when Australian silver coins were introduced. These included florins, shillings, sixpences and threepences. They had a portrait of King Edward VII on one side. Australian pennies and half-pennies were introduced into circulation the following year. In 1931 gold sovereigns stopped being minted in Australia. A crown or five-shilling coin was minted in 1937 and 1938.

Australian £sd

Australian 1963 shilling, 1936 penny and 1948 half penny.

Australian 1961 half penny and 1964 penny with Kangaroos.

Australian 1958 three pence with wheat.

Australian 1951, George VI, six pence with coat of arms.

Australian 1959, Elizabeth II, six pence with coat of arms.

a silver copy of the extremely rare 1930 penny

In 1898 the British government allowed two colonies, New South Wales and Victoria, to mint silver and bronze coins at their mints in Sydney and Melbourne respectively.

Revaluation

In 1947 due to the cost of WW2 the silver content of the coins was reduced from 0.925 to 0.500 of the coin weight, this lasted until decimalisation of the 14 February 1966. One coin highly sought after by collectors is the penny dated 1930. Its rarity is so well-known amongst Australians, that demand for what is akin to a blue chip investment has pushed prices to approximately 26,000 Australian dollars for an average standard example. A proof example of the same coin recently changed hands for over 620,000 Australian dollars, making it the most expensive copper coin in the world.

Coins

Half Penny (½d)
Penny (1d)
Threepence (3d)
Sixpence (6d)
Shilling (1/-)
Florin (2/-)

1910 Series
Value	Diameter	Weight	Composition	Edge	Obverse and Title	Reverse	Minted Year
3 pence	16 mm	1.41 g	92.5% silver 7.5% copper	Plain	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:	1908 coat of arms	1910
6 pence	19mm	2.82 g		Reeded
1 shilling	23.5 mm	5.65 g
2 shillings = 1 florin	28.5 mm	11.31 g

1911 Series
Value	Diameter	Weight	Composition	Edge	Obverse and Title	Reverse	Minted Year
½ penny	25.5mm	5.67g	Bronze(97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin	Plain	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:	Value	1911 – 1936
1 penny	30.8mm	9.45g
3 pence	As previous series					1908 coat of arms
6 pence
1 shilling
2 shillings = 1 florin

1937 Series
Value	Diameter	Weight	Composition	Edge	Obverse and Title	Reverse	Minted Year
½ penny			Bronze		GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:	Value	1938 – 1939
½ penny						Kangaroo	1939 – 1948
1 penny							1938 – 1948
3 pence	As previous series					three stalks of wheat and a ribbon	1938 – 1944
6 pence						1908 coat of arms	1938 – 1945
1 shilling						Merino ram's head	1938 – 1944
2 shillings = 1 florin						1912 coat of arms	1938 – 1945
5 shillings = 1 crown		28.28 g	92.5% silver 7.5% copper	Milled		Crown	1937 – 1938

1945, 1949, 1953, 1955 Series
Series	Composition	Obverse and Title	½d	1d	3d	6d	1s	2s
1946	50% silver, 40% copper, 5% zinc, and 5% nickel	As previous series	None	None	1947, 1948	1946, 1948	1946, 1948	1946, 1947
1949	½d & 1d as 1937 series, the rest as previous series	GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX FIDEI DEF	1949 – 1952			1950 – 1952		1951 – 1952
1953	As previous series	ELIZABETH . II. DEI. GRATIA. REGINA	1953 – 1955	1953	1953 – 1954
1959		ELIZABETH . II. DEI. GRATIA. REGINA. F: D:	1959 – 1964	1955 – 1964		1955 – 1963		1956 – 1963

See also: Half penny, Penny, threepence, sixpence, shilling, florin, crown.

Pre-decimal commemorative coins

Florin = 2 shillings

• 

  1927 Australian florin commemorating the opening of the original Parliament House

• 

  1934-35 Australian florin commemorating the centenary of Victoria and the establishment of Melbourne

• 

  1951 Australian florin commemorating 50 years of the Commonwealth of Australia

• 

  1954 Australian florin struck to commemorate the visit to Australia of Queen Elizabeth II on 3rd Feb 1954.

• 

  The obverse of the commemorative 1927 Australian florin, with
  King George V

• 

  The obverse of the commemorative 1934-35 Australian florin

• 

  The obverse of the commemorative 1951 Australian florin, with
  King George VI

• 

  The obverse of the commemorative 1954 Australian florin, with Queen Elizabeth II

References

• Ian W. Pitt, ed (2000). Renniks Australian Coin and Banknote Values (19th ed. ed.). Chippendale, N.S.W.: Renniks Publications. ISBN 0-9585574-4-6. 
• Krause, Chester L. and Clifford Mishler (2003). 2004 Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1901–Present. Colin R. Bruce II (senior editor) (31st ed. ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0873495934. 

External links

• Cruzi's Coins
• Guide to predecimal coins
• History of Australian coins
• Australia's first coins - State Library of NSW
• Commonwealth Pre-Decimal Currency
• Australian Pre-Decimal Currency