Collecting Coins Of Australia

Coin collecting can be a rewarding, challenging, educational, or even

profitable for some collectors. Australian coins pose a more interesting
challenge for those coin collectors who are looking for something a bit
different to collect. Being colonized by the British in 1788 and having a
population of around 23 million people, Australia has both a rich but short
history with relatively small mintage figures compared to other countries.
Many of these coins are becoming highly desirable acquisitions to
collectors worldwide. One excellent example is the Proof 1030 Australian
copper penny which is estimated to be worth between $1 million and $1.3
million. This makes this coin one of the most valuable copper coins in
existence today. It was the mining boom of the late 19th century and early
20th century which saw the need for a more stable and reliable currency for
the new booming economy of early Australia.
There are a number of these coin series available to the collector. They fall
into the categories listed below:
Colonial coinage which is referred to as the Proclamation series
(1788-1825).

 Pre-decimal coins (1910-1964).

Decimal coins (1966 to present).
Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns (1853 to 1931).
Below is listed a brief outline of each series as well as a very rough
estimate of what it will cost you to acquire them. This will give you an idea
of how much you will need to budget to collect these coins. For the
beginning collector this will give him or her a realistic expectation of what
they can afford.
Colonial Coins
In the early days of Australian colonization, a mishmash of coins from
around the world were being used with no real currency systems in place.
This resulted in a severe shortage of money. As the citizens purchased
goods from foreign traders the coins would be taken offshore. To combat
this trend, the Governor of New South Wales, Philip King announced a
decree in 1800. What his decree did was to create a list of coins which
would be recognized as having specific values whilst on Australian soil.
The values were intentionally valued higher than their face value to
encourage the traders to spend them while they were still in Australia rather
than taking them offshore where they would be accepted at a lower value.
Most collectors attempt to collect the coins listed in the Proclamation,
hence the name Proclamation Coins.
Many of the coins listed in the proclamation were some of the most trusted
and highly minted coins of the day, and were often accepted all over the
world. s such this series is easy to collect in average circulated grades with
some available in uncirculated condition, The most expensive coins of this
series will be those made of gold. This is more a reflection of gold's current
high spot market prices, rather than the rarity of the coins themselves. The
coins listed in the Decree include:
English Guinea
Indian Gold Mohur

 Spanish dollar or Eight-Reals

Ducat
Rupee
Indian Pagoda
Dutch Guilder
English 1787 Shilling
Cartwheel pennies
Coins in this series will range from as little as $40 in very worn condition to
$4,000+ for complete set in average circulated condition.
Pre-decimal Australian Coins
This is a popular series for the beginning or serious collector. Most of the
coins in this series should be available to most budgets. Most collectors
don't attempt to collect the entire pre-decimal set, but instead focus on the
different denominations. There are seven denominations minted between
1919 and 1964:
Halfpennies--1911-1964.
Pennies--1911-1964.
Threepence--1910-1964.
Sixpence--1910-1963.
Shilling--1910-1963.
Florin--1910-1963.
Crown--1973 & 1938.

Aside from collecting a particular denomination, some collecctors choose to

collect one of the four Monarchs who reigned during the pre-decimal
period, Edward VII, George V. George VI, or Elizbeth II. Another popular
series to collect is the type set. This requires the collector to acquire one of
each type of coin. The Type set is a great option for the collector who
wants to add variety to their collections.
Australian pre-decimal coins are a great way to learn about Australian
history and the significnt events that occured during those years, such s the
Great Depression and the two world wars. This is featured in the coins
mintage figures and their coin minting quality.
This is a very large series with many collecting options available which
makes this series difficult to price. If you take the Florin series as an
example, there are a total of 63 coins in the complete set. Average
circulated coins can cost between $7 to $400 per coin. Uncirculated coins
in the George V era are highly sought after and are very difficult to find.
Expect to spend some serious cash to find a coin in this condition.

Decimal Coins
Australian decimal coins minted after 1966 are fast becoming popular with
collectors. They offer a very inexpensive way to get into the hobby of
collecting coins. Coins can be collected from pocket change t no greater
cost than the face value of the coin itself. This type of collecting is very
popular due to the low cost factor. Many hours can be spent looking
through piles of change to find that special coin. This can often include
error coins which can command high prices of their own right. There are
eight denominations in Australia's decimal currency:
1 Cent--1966-1990 excluding non-circulating coins.
2 Cent--1966-1989 excluding non-circulating coins.
5 Cent--1966-present.
10 Cent--1966-present.
20 Cent--1966-present.
50 Cent--1966-present.
1 Dollar--1984-present.
2 Dollar--1988-present.
Aside from the coins listed above, there are also many decimal coins
minted purely for the collector market; these include the $5 coins, $10
coins, mint sets, proof sets, etc. With no rules to abide by most collectors
simply collect what they like or what interests them. Coins collected at face
value should enable any collector to put together a collection on a modest
budget.

Sovereigns And Half Sovereigns

These coins are literally worth their weight in gold if not more.
Australian Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns are highly desirable coins
and are sought after by collectors around the world. This is largely
due to their comparative rarity. The Half Sovereign series was minted
in very low numbers and offer the collector the opportunity to buy
some particularly rare coins
No matter what grade these coins are collected in, they will not be
cheap to acquire. This is due to the very high gold prices of today.
This has been a great investment for anyone who purchased these
coins in previous years. This series was first minted in 1853 and
ceased in 1931. This series is not for the faint of heart.
Happy Collecting
Collecting Australian coins can represent a new challenge to the
serious or beginning coin collector, especially those collectors who
appreciate history. There are many great website online to further

pursue your interest in collecting Australian coins. Information on an

inexpensive guide can be found at this link:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art302712.asp