Coin Related ?'s For the Aussies

Why did Australia never mint farthing coins? They seemingly appear to have
never even circulated there. Was it because it was just plain too small a
coin denomination? Incovenient?

Also, even though I love the variety of mints, and mintmarks, especially on
the Penny coins, I wonder why larger more productive minting facilities were
not set up in Australia, instead of Aussie Pennies being minted in several
mints in the UK and also India? I have over 700 Aussie pennies, which make
for a good long search when you lay them out on the table and break them
down by date, mintmark etc. When I bought the lot I found a handful of the
scarce 1912 Pennies.

Australian Pre-decimals are quite an undiscovered and very unappreciated
collecting area, except maybe in Australia. The coins are often quite
exponentially scarcer than their cousins in South Africa or Britain, Eire,
but still rather affordable.

Dave
"love those 'Roos"
--
Please see my Numismatic Website;
http://www.delta.edu/davidparrish

If you reply via email, try this:
scottishmoney(at)REMOVETHISyahoo.com



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"Scottishmoney" wrote in message
...
Why did Australia never mint farthing coins? They seemingly appear to have
never even circulated there. Was it because it was just plain too small a
coin denomination? Incovenient?

Just no demand.
British farthings remained legal tender (well, they passed as such) for some time
after 1910, when we started minting our own coins. Ask most old-timers, and they'll
tell you we *did* mint farthings (mistaking the Brit issue for ours.)

In my lifetime, ha'pennies were small enough for the most insignificant purchases.


Also, even though I love the variety of mints, and mintmarks, especially on
the Penny coins, I wonder why larger more productive minting facilities were
not set up in Australia, instead of Aussie Pennies being minted in several
mints in the UK and also India?

We are, and were even more so then, a *small* country. Couldn't justify the
infrastructure of a couple of humungous mints, early on. Look at the mintages: 2,3,4
million or so. Peanuts compared to the US of A's multi-squillion mintages.


...I have over 700 Aussie pennies, which make
for a good long search when you lay them out on the table and break them
down by date, mintmark etc. When I bought the lot I found a handful of the
scarce 1912 Pennies.

Not *that* scarce, Dave. Only worth a buck in VG. Rather the 1914...
(Ne'er mind the '30 ;-) )


Australian Pre-decimals are quite an undiscovered and very unappreciated
collecting area, except maybe in Australia.

NO NO NO NO...
MOVE ALONG FOLKS ! THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE....

Nahhh - no-one likes Aussie pre-decimals. Waste of time and space. I reckon you
should dump them all on eBay for face value - or melt. Lemme know when you do...

Why, I even use them for disrespectful purposes such as clock weights:
http://www.mendosus.com/jpg/pennyweight.jpg
(115 Aussie pennies driving my skeleton clock)

The coins are often quite
exponentially scarcer than their cousins in South Africa or Britain, Eire,
but still rather affordable.

Maybe so, but observe how quickly this thread dies (as an indication of the
"popularity" of Aussie pre-decimals.)

Jeff (in Sydney)
(loving the lack of competition)

"A.Gent" wrote in message
u...


Also, even though I love the variety of mints, and mintmarks, especially
on
the Penny coins, I wonder why larger more productive minting facilities
were
not set up in Australia, instead of Aussie Pennies being minted in
several
mints in the UK and also India?

We are, and were even more so then, a *small* country. Couldn't justify
the
infrastructure of a couple of humungous mints, early on. Look at the
mintages: 2,3,4
million or so. Peanuts compared to the US of A's multi-squillion
mintages.

Many instance the mintages were lower than that too.


...I have over 700 Aussie pennies, which make
for a good long search when you lay them out on the table and break them
down by date, mintmark etc. When I bought the lot I found a handful of
the
scarce 1912 Pennies.

Not *that* scarce, Dave. Only worth a buck in VG. Rather the 1914...
(Ne'er mind the '30 ;-) )

I have some '14's a couple of them, but nary a '30 'an probably won't ever
hae one.


Australian Pre-decimals are quite an undiscovered and very unappreciated
collecting area, except maybe in Australia.

NO NO NO NO...
MOVE ALONG FOLKS ! THERE'S NOTHING TO SEE HERE....

Nahhh - no-one likes Aussie pre-decimals. Waste of time and space. I
reckon you
should dump them all on eBay for face value - or melt. Lemme know when
you do...

Nah gonna happen. You and I will collect them, since I am here in the US I
am not much competition for thee, 'cept I buy my coins from exotic places
like Fremantle, and Perth, and Melbourne.

Why, I even use them for disrespectful purposes such as clock weights:
http://www.mendosus.com/jpg/pennyweight.jpg
(115 Aussie pennies driving my skeleton clock)

The coins are often quite
exponentially scarcer than their cousins in South Africa or Britain,
Eire,
but still rather affordable.

Maybe so, but observe how quickly this thread dies (as an indication of
the
"popularity" of Aussie pre-decimals.)

Jeff (in Sydney)
(loving the lack of competition)

You have competition.

Dave


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"Scottishmoney" wrote in message
...

Nah gonna happen. You and I will collect them, since I am here in the US I
am not much competition for thee, 'cept I buy my coins from exotic places
like Fremantle, and Perth, and Melbourne.


hehehe
"exotic" he says!

Wherabouts do you hail from, Dave?

Jeff

"A.Gent" wrote in message
u...

"Scottishmoney" wrote in message
...

Nah gonna happen. You and I will collect them, since I am here in the
US I
am not much competition for thee, 'cept I buy my coins from exotic
places
like Fremantle, and Perth, and Melbourne.


hehehe
"exotic" he says!

Wherabouts do you hail from, Dave?

Michigan USofA. Actually servicemen whom spent time out there in Fremantle
thought it was exotic, well at least the entertainment district:\

Dave


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"Scottishmoney" wrote in message
...

"A.Gent" wrote in message
u...

Wherabouts do you hail from, Dave?

Michigan USofA. Actually servicemen whom spent time out there in Fremantle
thought it was exotic, well at least the entertainment district:\

Dave


"Over-sexed, overpaid and over here."
Your countrymen's exploits have entered our culture (among other things).

===

Keep searching those pennies. Big copper is so much more fun than little.

Cheers
Jeff

"A.Gent" wrote in message news:4035fa3c$0$4249

"Over-sexed, overpaid and over here."
Your countrymen's exploits have entered our culture (among other things).

It takes two to mix. :|

Keep searching those pennies. Big copper is so much more fun than little.

Actually that is my point, with Aussie pennies there are dozens and dozens
of varieties, moved mintmarks, mintmarks that changed back and forth from
dots in different places etc. I only have a few dozen half roos, but like
noted over 700 or so Roos and pre Roos. Now that the Aussie $ have regained
some formerly lost value, they are not quite so cheap to buy and have
shipped in large quantities like before. I have the same problem with my
British collecting habits, yet another victim of our stupid economic
planners in the Bush Administration.

Dave


Cheers
Jeff




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On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 09:03:13 -0500, "Scottishmoney"
wrote:

Why did Australia never mint farthing coins?

No need to as there were sufficient British ones circulationg.

They seemingly appear to have
never even circulated there. Was it because it was just plain too small a
coin denomination?

They were circulated along with a lot of British coins.

My parents can remember receiveing Britsh coins inchange and they
aren't yet 60.

Incovenient?

Also, even though I love the variety of mints, and mintmarks, especially on
the Penny coins, I wonder why larger more productive minting facilities were
not set up in Australia, instead of Aussie Pennies being minted in several
mints in the UK and also India?

Because the Melbourne and later the Perth Mints were sufficient once
they got up to spped with one or two minor exception post 1920

We also had 3d 6d 1/- and 2/- mintd in the US (San Francisco and
Denver) during late WWII


I have over 700 Aussie pennies, which make
for a good long search when you lay them out on the table and break them
down by date, mintmark etc. When I bought the lot I found a handful of the
scarce 1912 Pennies.

Not that scarce

Nowhere near as scarce as 1914, 1915, 19235, 1946 1920(no dots) and of
course the most valuable circulating bronze coin of the 20th century
the 1930.


Australian Pre-decimals are quite an undiscovered and very unappreciated
collecting area, except maybe in Australia. The coins are often quite
exponentially scarcer than their cousins in South Africa or Britain, Eire,
but still rather affordable.

Although the key dates blow you out of the water

The following prices are for coins in EF and Choice Unc respectively.

1923 1/2d $A9,250 $A 60,000

1930 1d $95,000 $A230,000

1921/2 Overdate 3d $A32,000 $A 65,000 (this is for an UNC as there is
none known in choice Unc)

1918 6d $A850 $A6,500

1915H 1/- $A1,450 $A 15,500

1932 2/- $A2,750 $A16,500

1938 5/- $A175 $A 1,600

Colin Kynoch

On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 08:10:56 -0500, "Scottishmoney"
wrote:


"A.Gent" wrote in message news:4035fa3c$0$4249

"Over-sexed, overpaid and over here."
Your countrymen's exploits have entered our culture (among other things).

It takes two to mix. :|

Keep searching those pennies. Big copper is so much more fun than little.

Actually that is my point, with Aussie pennies there are dozens and dozens
of varieties, moved mintmarks, mintmarks that changed back and forth from
dots in different places etc.

And don't forget the multitude of known die cracks.

Aussie 'error' coins are an under appreciated market in Australia.

Most 'errors' are worth less tahn thier 'perfect' counterparts, the
major exception being mules.


Colin Kynoch

"Colin Kynoch" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 09:03:13 -0500, "Scottishmoney"
wrote:

Why did Australia never mint farthing coins?

No need to as there were sufficient British ones circulationg.

Did they circulate later on? IE after the 1940's?

They seemingly appear to have
never even circulated there. Was it because it was just plain too small
a
coin denomination?

They were circulated along with a lot of British coins.

My parents can remember receiveing Britsh coins inchange and they
aren't yet 60.

I would imagine that practically everything circulating from prior to 1911
was British, and probably saw years and years of hard use. Despite the fact
that the Irish Free State was instituted and they came out with their own
unique coinage, British coins circulated, especially the older ones right up
until decimalisation.


Incovenient?

Also, even though I love the variety of mints, and mintmarks, especially
on
the Penny coins, I wonder why larger more productive minting facilities
were
not set up in Australia, instead of Aussie Pennies being minted in
several
mints in the UK and also India?

Because the Melbourne and later the Perth Mints were sufficient once
they got up to spped with one or two minor exception post 1920

We also had 3d 6d 1/- and 2/- mintd in the US (San Francisco and
Denver) during late WWII

If memory serves correct, I think some pennies were minted in India again
during WWII. I have some of the coins minted in San Francisco. I am kind
of amazed that it was efficient to mint the coins in the US and transport
them across a then hazardous South Pacific during the war. Even the India
route was not quite safe, but much safer than the US-Australia route.


I have over 700 Aussie pennies, which make
for a good long search when you lay them out on the table and break them
down by date, mintmark etc. When I bought the lot I found a handful of
the
scarce 1912 Pennies.

Not that scarce

Nowhere near as scarce as 1914, 1915, 19235, 1946 1920(no dots) and of
course the most valuable circulating bronze coin of the 20th century
the 1930.
Although the key dates blow you out of the water

The following prices are for coins in EF and Choice Unc respectively.


1930 1d $95,000 $A230,000

These come up on fleaBay rather often, just never the real McCoy. This have
to be one of the more famously forged coins around.

Dave



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