Rare Australian Coins Perhaps it’s mystery, like the intrigue that surrounds the folkloric 1930 Penny. Maybe it’s a unique sense of Australia, captured by coins like the 1919-21 Square Kookaburra Pattern Penny championed by treasurer William Watt. Or perhaps it’s the story of a could’ve-been.
Rare Australian 1938 Silver Proof Coin Set. Being Sold as a Collection. Coins Description: The Australian Pre Decimal 1938 Silver Coin Collection. Set Comprises: Three Pence (3d), Six Pence (6d), One Shilling (1/-) and Two Shilling (2/- or Florin). Grading: PR64 PCGS Graded and Slabbed.
Half penny (½d), penny (1d), threepence (3d), sixpence (6d), shilling (1s), florin (2s) and crown (5s) circulated in the country. Production of half-sovereigns ceased in 1916, followed by that of sovereigns in 1931. The value of a pre-decimal australian coin depends on several factors such as quality and wear, supply and demand, rarity, finish and more.
When we find an unusual coin in our change we always want to think it’s a rare Australian coin. The truth of the matter is that very few coins you’ll find in your change are either rare or valuable. In this article I’ll look at some of the rarer coins you might find in your change and then list off a few of the truly rare decimal coins that you’d be staggeringly lucky to ever find.
We look at 10 Australia coins worth big money. These are valuable foreign coins to look for in your coin collection. This video is sponsored by Noble Gold In.
Rare Australian Coins
If you look closely at each and every coin you get in your change then you might be lucky, within a year, to find a coin that wasn’t meant to be released into circulation or that is an unusual variety. The most common find in circulation are NCLT (non-circulating legal tender) coins that were never meant for general release. Most frequently these are so-called mintmark dollars, which were released to collectors and for whatever reason someone decided to spend them.
Would you notice the small C mintmark with the kangaroo in it on this not-for-circulation NCLT dollar if you got this coin in change?
It’s much rarer to find these unusual varieties such as the 2000 Incuse 50c, the 1966 Wavy 20c, and the 2000 $1/10c mule. We’ve covered the rare Australian coins you can find in your change previously but these 3 varieties are the most popular to look for. Other varieties that pop up from time to time and are worth looking out for include the upset 2001 Centenary of Federation $1 and the upset 2010 50c.
Australia 2001 Upset $1
One other type of rare Australian coin to look out for in your change are errors. Most commonly you might find a coin with a cud. For some reason $1 and $2 coins seem to occur most frequently with cuds. Less often you might be lucky enough to find a mis-struck coin such as an out-of-collar 5c or 10c or a coin with a minor clip. We’re aware of some fortunate people who have found more grossly mis-struck coins in their change such as a double struck $2. Very rarely someone finds a truly rare Australian coin in their change. For example, the bi-metal Australian $1 coin we wrote about several years ago was given in change at a supermarket. We’re also aware of people who have received coins struck on the wrong planchet in their change, such as a 10c on a 5c planchet.
Australia $1 1985-1991 Mob of Roos Off Centre Error
Keep on Looking
Just glancing at your change to check it for varieties takes no effort and can really pay dividends. The authors of this blog, just by checking their change, have in the last few years have found two incuse millennium 50c coins, two upset 2001 Centenary of Federation dollars, and several mint-mark dollars. Dedicated coin hunters will withdraw quantities of coins from banks to noodle through and with time and effort the 2000 $1/10c mule and the 1966 wavy 20c can still be found. The authors found 3 mules in a period of two years of on-and-off hunting. The wavy 20c still eludes them though!
Posted in Collecting Coins, Error Coins
Supplied video obtained Wednesday, June 5, 2019. The Royal Australian Mint has released a three-coin collectable series to celebrate 50 years since the Apollo 11 Moon landing....
Supplied video obtained Wednesday, June 5, 2019. The Royal Australian Mint has released a three-coin collectable series to celebrate 50 years since the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The world's first dome-shaped coloured nickel plated coin, a domed gold coin and a coloured silver domed coin are part of a collaborative set made with the United States Mint. The coins were launched by the Royal Australian Mint's CEO, Ross MacDiarmid with the support of Operations Scientist at CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope, Mr John Sarkissian; former Parkes radio telescope site electrician and driver, Ben Lam; former Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station Deputy Station Director, Mike Dinn; and Royal Australian Mint Coin Designer, Adam Ball. "We are honoured to share these unique coloured domed coins, including the magnificent collaborative set with the United States Mint, to mark 50 years since Australia shared the first human perspective of the Moon's surface with the world," Royal Australian Mint CEO Ross MacDiarmid says. (AAP VIDEO/Supplied/Royal Australian Mint)
This fancy little wave in the ‘2’ is rare and makes the coin worth about $2000.Source:Facebook
Check your loose change or that old drawer littered with coins to see if any have imperfections from the Royal Australian Mint that could make them worth thousands.
Collectors go crazy for tiny minting errors that are so subtle most go unnoticed to the untrained eye.
A 5c piece from 2007 that incorrectly had the Queen’s head on both sides of the coin was sold for thousands.
Town Hall Coins and Collectables expert Matthew Thompson told The Daily Mail this mistake was named a “double-obverse”.
“The last one I sold was for $3500,” he said.
“That one was in top-end condition and so was worth thousands. One in really poor condition, you’d still be looking at a few hundred for.”
Mr Thompson said a simple check through the coins could pocket an eagle-eyed enthusiast thousands.
Double-headed 5c pieces from 2007.Source:Facebook
“I’ve done it before if I’ve a bag of coins or change jars. If you just spend a bit of time going through them it can certainly pay off,” he said.
Mistakes also include coins being clipped during the minting process or other errors in the stamping of the coin.
“People don’t expect institutions like the mint to make mistakes,” he said.
“But from time to time things can go awry. If you see mistakes on a coin, if you have something interesting, odd or out of place, then other people are likely to find it interesting, too — that’s why people collect.”
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Mr Thompson said a $1 piece in 2000 was accidentally stamped with the head from a 10c piece.
If your $1 coin from 2000 has two rings on it, you could be $4000 richer. Picture: eBaySource:Supplied
“It (the head side) is slightly smaller, so it gives a double-ring effect,” he said.
“If you see two rings on your dollar coin, it could be worth a few hundred or up to $4000 in really good condition.”
About 6000 of these were made but that number is unconfirmed.
Are they rabbit ears on a kangaroo?Source:Facebook
A more common mistake is a kangaroo on the $1 coin appearing to have rabbit ears. These coins can be worth about $30.
Rare Australian Coins $2
This fancy little wave in the ‘2’ is rare and makes the coin worth about $2000.Source:Facebook
The Facebook page Detecting Downunder discusses another rare currency that has a slightly curly “2” on the 20 cent piece from 1966. These can fetch up to $2000.
“If you happen to find one of these little beauties, it could be worth big money as these coins are currently selling for between $350 and $800 EACH on eBay, with one at $2000, and they’re only getting more valuable each year,” the Facebook post said.
Rare Australian Coins $1
The faulty coin has a wavy top edge on the base of the number “2”.