1981 Aussie 20 cent

[Brissyboy]

Okay guys, step aside for the 1981 specialist.  

Firstly, in 1981, the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra contracted the Royal Mint at Llantrisant, Wales to strike Australian coin dated 1981 in the following denominations, 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents (Royal Wedding design), the Royal Canadian Mint at Winnipeg, Canada to strike 5 cents and 20 cents, the Perth Mint at Perth, Western Australia to strike 2 cents and W.A. Stokes (Australasia) Ltd at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to strike 10,048 of the 1982 $10 Commonwealth Games silver proof coins.

This was necessary because of a 13 week strike at the RAM in the second quarter of 1981.

The RAM did manage in the second half of 1981 to produce coin for circulation in 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c (Coat of Arms design) as well as the 6 coin collector uncirculated and proof sets, $200 gold uncirculated Royal Wedding and the 1982 $10 silver and $200 gold uncirculated and proof Commonwealth Games coins (1981-82 financial year).

With the circulation coins, mint of origin differences can be detected if coins are in reasonable quality and if one knows what to look for. Coins struck by the RCM are the easiest with the 5 cent having a distinctive obverse (two wavy lines to the lowest hair curl at the back of the neck) and the 20 cents having the very clear three and half claws reverse and flat text to the legend on the obverse. The platypus also has large nostrils similar to the 20 cents from the RAM.

Continued next message.

[Brissyboy]

The coins from the Royal Mint are a lot more difficult to detect from those produced by the RAM. If you can, get a set of RAM coins from Royal Australian Mint marked rolls or from the mint uncirculated set and use these to compare other coins with. Differences for the 1 cent and 2 cent seems to be the distance of the legend on the obverse from the rim. The Perth Mint 2 cent coins may also have a slighly different coppery colour and like in 1966-68 have the claw on the reverse shorter than that of Canberra but not as blunt as in 66-68. The 5 cents and 10 cents are quite difficult and the best way to get these coins from the Royal Mint is in Reserve Bank of Australia marked rolls. Mind you the RCM 5c also comes in RBA rolls too. As for the 20 cents, I have found the Queen on the obverse lacks detail to her eyebrow hair lines and the nostrils of the Platypus on the reverse are quite small. The left claw under the 2 which on the RCM coin is the half claw, on some of the RM coins can appear to be a half claw but under magnification and rotating the coin to the light, the claw tappers up instead of being a blunt half claw. The letters of the obverse legend are much more rounded than flat like the with the RCM coins. The 20c from the RAM has 4 claws, large nostrils to platypus, distinct eyebrow hair lines to Queen. The distances of the obverse text from the rim may also be a feature in discerning between mints.

 

I try and post some pics over the weekend.

The 50 cents is easy to tell in that all Coat of Arms were struck by the RAM and all Royal Wedding were struck by the RM in Wales.

Wayne 

[Muckeye]

Crikey, you know how to 'make life difficult' Wayne.
It's hard enuf to get the varities in Macca's without you butting in!
regards,

[Rusty]

Okay guys, step aside for the 1981 specialist.  

Firstly, in 1981, the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra contracted the Royal Mint at Llantrisant, Wales to strike Australian coin dated 1981 in the following denominations, 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents (Royal Wedding design), the Royal Canadian Mint at Winnipeg, Canada to strike 5 cents and 20 cents, the Perth Mint at Perth, Western Australia to strike 2 cents and W.A. Stokes (Australasia) Ltd at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to strike 10,048 of the 1982 $10 Commonwealth Games silver proof coins.

This was necessary because of a 13 week strike at the RAM in the second quarter of 1981.

The RAM did manage in the second half of 1981 to produce coin for circulation in 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c (Coat of Arms design) as well as the 6 coin collector uncirculated and proof sets, $200 gold uncirculated Royal Wedding and the 1982 $10 silver and $200 gold uncirculated and proof Commonwealth Games coins (1981-82 financial year).

With the circulation coins, mint of origin differences can be detected if coins are in reasonable quality and if one knows what to look for. Coins struck by the RCM are the easiest with the 5 cent having a distinctive obverse (two wavy lines to the lowest hair curl at the back of the neck) and the 20 cents having the very clear three and half claws reverse and flat text to the legend on the obverse. The platypus also has large nostrils similar to the 20 cents from the RAM.

Continued next message.

Hi Brissyboy,
The obverse lettering for the 3-1/2 claw coin, as I have an UNC one and every circulated one I have checked today (about 10) seem to be curved at the base of the lettering, and flat across the text. In fact when I saw the curved base I knew it would be a 3-1/2 even before I turned it over to confirm it. How about finding a way to tell the other 2 apart eh.    Cheers.

[Brissyboy]

Rusty, If you read what I wrote above, you should be able to tell the RM 20c from the RAM 20c if they are of reasonable to high quality. Much harder to tell with very circulated coins.

[Brissyboy]

Rusty,

Perhaps you will be able to tell from looking at the reeding on the 20c issues.




Wayne

[NumisMatty]

Do you think it was broken out of a proof set?
I found a 1992 10p piece the other day which i believe is actually a proof, has very mirror-like fields to me and slight cameo..

[triggersmob]

Matt,

No, this is definately not proof finish. May have come from a mint set though.