Australian Pre Decimal Copper Penny Coins

The penny was easily the most popular denomination in circulation in Australia before 1966. 12 copper Australian pennies were equivalent to a silver shilling, 240 of these pre decimal coins were equal to every one pound banknote.

Pennies were minted for Australia between 1911 and 1964. The first Australian penny was made at the Royal Mint in London, some feature the Birmingham Mint mintmark, at the Calcutta Mint in India, as well as at the Melbourne Mint, the Sydney Mint and the Perth Mint in Australia.

Which Australian pennies are worth money?

The rarest Australian penny was made at the Melbourne Mint, is dated 1930 and has King George V on the heads side, it is easily the best known of all Australian rare coins. It is an incredible memento of the Great Depression. A proof 1930 penny is extremely rare, one is held by the British Museum. The 1925 penny also features King George on the obverse, a small number were made at the Melbourne Mint - it is the second rarest date struck and is always popular with collectors, while the 1936 penny with King George VI on the heads side and the Kangaroo reverse is one of Australia's more valuable pre-decimal coins. Some collectors believe that a rare 1920 penny with a dot above the bottom scroll is the rarest copper coin made by the Perth Mint.

When did Australia stop using the penny?

Pennies are popular Australian coins to collect - a complete set is an affordable way of building a snapshot of Australian currency from before World War I right through to the introduction of decimal currency in 1966. An Australian penny is generally a common coin in average condition, it's a great idea to check published values to see which dates are worth money in mint condition.