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The Australian penny was introduced in 1911 and was a coin of the Australian pound, following the £sd system. The first Australian pennies were minted at the Royal Mint in London, England, or in India. The last Australian penny was minted in 1964, and the coin was used until the official changeover to decimal currency in 1966. The Australian penny was withdrawn from circulation in 1992. The 1930 penny is considered one of the rarest Australian coins, with a small number minted during the Great Depression.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of the last penny minted | 1964 |
| Year of the last penny in circulation | 1992 |
| Years of minting | 1911-1964 |
| Years of circulation | 1911-1966 |
| Rarest penny | 1930 penny |
| Most valuable copper penny | 1930 penny |
| Second rarest penny | 1925 penny |
| Most valuable pre-decimal coin | 1936 penny |
| First penny minted on Australian soil | 1919 penny |
| Design on the reverse of the penny | Kangaroo |
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What You'll Learn
The last Australian penny was minted in 1964
The Australian penny was introduced in 1911 and was a coin of the Australian pound, following the £sd system. The first Australian pennies were minted at the Royal Mint in London, England, or in Calcutta, India. The 1919 penny was the first to be minted on Australian soil. The Australian penny was used in the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalisation in 1966. The last penny was minted in 1964, after which stocks of imperial coins were used until the official changeover to decimal currency in 1966.
The Australian penny was equivalent in its dimensions and value to the British pre-decimal penny, as the two currencies were originally fixed at par. One Australian penny was worth 1/240 of an Australian pound. The obverse of the coin featured the reigning Australian monarch. Three monarchs were featured: George V, George VI, and Elizabeth II. All the pennies bearing George VI and Elizabeth II had a kangaroo on the reverse. The kangaroo image was also used on the Australian half-penny and has since been included on the dollar coin and the bullion silver kangaroo.
The 1930 penny is one of the rarest Australian coins, due to a very small number being minted. It holds the record as the most valuable copper penny in the world and is highly sought after by coin collectors. A 1930 penny in very fine condition can be worth A$45,000 or more. The 1930 penny has been Australia's most well-known rare coin since one was first discovered by Sydney coin collector Fritz Schaefer between 1940 and 1944. The 1925 penny is the second rarest Australian penny, followed by the 1946 penny. While these pennies are not as valuable as the 1930 penny, they are still popular with collectors.
The rarest Australian penny was made at the Melbourne Mint in 1945. Featuring Thomas Humphrey Paget's effigy of King George VI and the jumping kangaroo reverse, only four pennies were produced at the Melbourne Mint that year. These pennies were test pieces for new master tools and were made to ensure the tools were accurate before being sent to the Perth Mint, where they were used to produce over 10 million pennies that were needed for that year.
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The coin was withdrawn from circulation in 1992
The Australian penny, a coin of the Australian pound, was introduced in 1911. It was used in the Commonwealth of Australia before the country adopted a decimal currency system in 1966. The last penny was minted in 1964, and the coin was withdrawn from circulation in 1992.
The Australian penny was equivalent in dimensions and value to the British pre-decimal penny, as the two currencies were originally fixed at par. One Australian penny was worth 1/240 of an Australian pound. The obverse of the coin featured the reigning Australian monarch—King George V, George VI, or Queen Elizabeth II. Pennies bearing the likeness of George VI and Elizabeth II had a kangaroo on the reverse. The kangaroo image was also featured on the Australian half-penny and has since been included on the dollar coin and the bullion silver kangaroo.
The 1930 penny is one of the rarest Australian coins due to a very small number being minted, and it 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 since one was first discovered by Sydney coin collector Fritz Schaefer between 1940 and 1944.
The 1919 penny was the first Australian penny minted on Australian soil. While Australian pennies had been made for the newly federated nation since 1911, they were minted at the Royal Mint in England or India. The 1919 pennies, with a reverse design by Blakemore and the obverse of King George V by Mackennal, are considered special due to their origin.
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The 1930 penny is one of the rarest Australian coins
The Australian penny was introduced in 1911 and was last minted in 1964. The 1930 penny is one of the rarest Australian coins. This is due to a very small number being minted, and it 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 since it was first discovered by Sydney coin collector Fritz Schaefer between 1940 and 1944. The coin features King George V on the back, and the federal government cancelled the orders for pennies in 1930 as the Great Depression took hold. The Melbourne Mint's records indicate that no pennies were struck for circulation in 1930 due to reduced demand for coinage at the beginning of the Great Depression. However, some coins were produced, probably to test the mint's 1930-dated dies, and these were thought to have been released into circulation with the 1931 issue.
The mintage of the 1930 penny is estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000 pieces, and it has attracted widespread publicity. The coin is so rare that only a handful of 1930 pennies struck with the London obverse die have been verified by experts. The 1930 penny is an incredible memento of the Great Depression, and its fascination stems from the mystery surrounding its minting.
In 2019, a proof of the 1930 penny sold for $1.15 million, and in 2022, a rare 1930 Australian penny sold for $59,415 at auction. The penny is considered one of the rarest in existence due to its low mintage, and it holds great value for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
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The 1919 penny was the first minted on Australian soil
The Australian penny was introduced in 1911 and was minted until 1964. The 1919 penny was the first to be minted on Australian soil. Before 1919, pennies were minted at the Royal Mint in England or India. The 1919 penny features the reverse design by Blakemore and the obverse of King George V by Mackennal. While the 1919 pennies are not particularly rare, they can still fetch a collector more than $1000 depending on their condition.
The Australian penny was a coin of the Australian pound, following the £sd system. It was used in the Commonwealth of Australia before decimalisation in 1966. One Australian penny was worth 1/240th of an Australian pound. The coin was equivalent in dimensions and value to the British pre-decimal penny, as the two currencies were originally fixed at par.
The first Australian pennies were made at the Royal Mint in London, some featuring the Birmingham Mint mintmark, at the Calcutta Mint in India, and later at the Melbourne Mint, the Sydney Mint, and the Perth Mint in Australia. The rarest Australian penny was made at the Melbourne Mint and is dated 1930. It features King George V on the heads side and is considered a memorable memento of the Great Depression. A proof 1930 penny is extremely rare, and one is held by the British Museum.
The 1925 penny also features King George on the obverse, and a small number were made at the Melbourne Mint. It is the second rarest date struck and is always popular with collectors. The 1936 penny, with King George VI on the heads side and the kangaroo on the reverse, is one of Australia's more valuable pre-decimal coins.
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The Australian penny was used during WWI and WWII
The Australian penny was introduced in 1911 and was last minted in 1964, two years before the official changeover to decimal currency in 1966. During its 53 years in circulation, the coin endured two world wars and the Great Depression.
The Australian penny was a coin of the Australian pound, which followed the £sd system. One Australian penny was worth 1/240 of an Australian pound. The coin was equivalent in its dimensions and value to the British pre-decimal penny, as the two currencies were originally fixed at par.
During World War I, the Australian penny was a common coin in circulation. A complete set of pennies from this period is an affordable way to build a snapshot of Australian currency from before World War I through to the introduction of decimal currency in 1966. The pennies minted during this time featured King George V on the obverse, with some rarer varieties featuring a dot above the bottom scroll.
The Australian penny continued to be used during World War II, with pennies from 1940 onwards becoming more valuable to collectors. The 1942 penny, for example, is considered the most expensive and rarest year of the cheapest and most common coin in collections. The 1943 mint marks also indicate that some pennies were minted in Bombay, India, in addition to the usual mints in Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney, Australia.
The Australian penny underwent a design change in 1938, when the iconic bounding kangaroo design was introduced on the reverse side of the coin. This design remained until 1964 and is instantly recognised by many Australians.
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Frequently asked questions
The last Australian penny was minted in 1964.
Australia continued to use its stock of imperial coins until the official changeover to decimal currency in 1966.
The last penny featured a kangaroo on its reverse side, a design that had been in place since 1938.
The rarest Australian pennies were minted in 1930, in the middle of the Great Depression.
