This article appeared in February 2012 Australasian Coin and Banknote Magazine written by the team at the Australian Coin Collecting Blog and is reproduced here for your viewing pleasure.

Figure 1: the unimpaired 1981 50c commemorating the marriage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.

On July 29th 1981 His Royal Highness, Charles the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. This article discusses the Australian 50c coins that were minted to commemorate this marriage and looks at two flawed coins that in some ways mirror what was a flawed and ultimately tragic union.

The engagement and marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton gave us a taste of both Royal fever and the frantic efforts of minting authorities around the world to release collector coins celebrating both events. Circumstances were little different in 1980 and 1981 with many different coins being released world wide to celebrate the engagement and marriage of Charles and Diana. The Royal Australian Mint did not look like joining the party and Aussie collectors had almost resigned themselves to collecting British and other world issues celebrating the Royal marriage.

However, on Sunday May 31st 1981 the then Treasurer, John Howard announced that a 50c coin would be minted to commemorate the Royal Wedding. Problems due to an on-going industrial dispute being experienced by the Royal Australian Mint at the time meant the coin would be minted in the United Kingdom or Canada. The new coin would bear jugate portraits of Charles and Diana on the reverse designed and sculpted by that doyen of Australian decimal coin design, Stuart Devlin.

We know now that the Chuck and Di 50c (as it is affectionately known) was minted to the tune of 20 million coins at the Royal Mint branch in Llantrisant in South Wales. 5 million of these coins were made available to Australian trading banks in early July 1981, just 3 short weeks before the Royal nuptials. This was later than planned as the delivery of coins was held up by yet more industrial action by the Transport Workers Union.

A regular commemorative Charles and Diana 50c can be seen in Figure 1. These were struck on a dodecagonal (12 sided) cupro-nickel blank with plain edges. After being struck, the coins measured 31.51mm from one flat edge to the opposite side of the coin. Interestingly the low rim of all dodecagonal Australian 50c coins are formed during the striking process rather than being applied by an upsetting mill as is usual for round coins. If you've taken the time to examine any mint state Charles and Diana 50c coins you've probably noted that the quality of strike is certainly better than Australian minted 50c coins of the time and the lustre can be a little more subdued than locally made coins.

Figure 2: the first of the two broadstruck errors discussed in this article.

Figure 3: the second of the two broadstruck errors discussed in this article.

Figures 2 and 3 show two different Charles and Diana 50c coins that were definitely not minted correctly. Both coins are what is known as broadstruck errors. This means that they were struck without the collar die (the less commonly discussed third die used in the minting process) in place and the planchet has spread out considerably. There are several indicators of this spreading, the most obvious is that the diameter of the broadstruck coins is greater than the standard. The coin in Figure 2 measures 33.55mm while that in Figure 3 measures 33.59mm. A second indicator of this spreading is shown by examining the lettering on the legends of both coins. In each case there is strong fishtailing at the base of the radial elements caused by outward metal flow due to the lack of the containing collar during the striking process. A final indicator of the spreading of these coins is clear in an examination of the design itself. In both cases there is a considerable amount of the flan extending past the edge of the design elements, obviously not something that is present in a regular coin.

Of interest is that the planchet in Figure 2 was rotated by about 15 degrees from normal orientation when struck. It is also worth noting that despite the coins being in exceptional condition that both have some mechanical damage. Figure 2 shows damage on the reverse on the rim at about 6 o'clock. Figure 3 shows similar damage on the rim at about 7 o'clock on the obverse. Of course we cannot ever be sure but it would be somewhat romantic to speculate that in both cases this damage may have been caused by Royal Mint workers dislodging these coins from the minting press where they had become stuck in the coining chamber.

Broadstruck Australian 50c coins are rare. The authors have only seen three in the last few years. In that same time the authors have noted several coins struck off-centre, quite a few ram-struck coins, and many clipped planchets. To find these two errors in such similar condition with the same design is unusual indeed. Before concluding the authors would like to indulge a moment in the serendipitous events that happen in the fine hobby of coin collecting from time to time. We had never seen a broadstruck Charles and Diana 50c coin until the coin in Figure 2 was purchased at private sale in 2011 and as luck would have it just a couple of weeks later the coin in Figure 3 was listed for online auction and needless to say we snapped it up, keen to have such a fine pair of errors. Serendipity indeed.

References:
"Australian 50c Coins - 1981 Royal Wedding Charles and Diana 50c" (2010) Retrieved October 31, 2011 from https://www.australian-coins.com/blog/2010/01/australian-50-cent-coins-1981-royal-wedding-charles-and-diana-50c.html
Author Unknown (1981). "Blanks show up in 50c Release". Australian Coin Review, Vol 18 No 3. pp 9
Fish, P (1981). "New Field Opens up for Collections". Australian Coin Review, Vol 18 No 1. pp7-9

I'm very excited about this weekend, as one of the blog writers I've packed a bag and I'm heading to Canberra for ENLIGHTEN. It will be a whirlwind trip for me (around 26 hours on the ground) but an opportunity for a behind the scenes tour of the factory floor at the Royal Australian Mint was something I just couldn't pass up. Sold out for weeks now I jumped in early securing tickets last December. It will be an opportunity also to see the portable press which would ordinarily be in Perth for the regular ANDA show held on the same weekend this year. The mobile coin press will be used to strike a Canberra Bluebell counterstamp onto the mintmark dollar for 2012, the Wheat Sheaf dollar. I'll also get to view a display titled "Shadows and Perspective: The Influence of the Renaissance on Contemporary Coin Design" at the RAM until April 9th. Of course I'll be catching up with numismatic friends also. The forecast for Canberra is torrential rain and some flooding so let's hope the weather clears soon.

Australian Open 2012 PNC

In a joint release between Australia Post and the Royal Australian Mint this PNC features two one dollar coins -the first official release of it's kind. These commemorative dollars are NCLT or non-circulating legal tender and were not released into circulation. They have been produced for the collector market to commemorate the 2012 Australian Open Grand Slam tournament and the 100th Men's final match.

Each dollar is slightly different, both depicting the winners trophies -one mens and one womens. Interestingly the cover image of the PNC shows both mens players who fought it out for the title Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic with Djokovic taking home the trophy.

Each PNC is numbered up to 15,000 and released by Australia Post at $29.95. The PNC is cancelled in Melbourne on the first day of the tournament, 16th January 2012.

Australian Open 2012 PNC

2012 International Year of Cooperatives

2012 has been declared International Year of Co-operatives by the United Nations General Assembly. This theme raises awareness of the important role co-operatives play in social and economic development worldwide contributing to employment, strengthening livelihood and improving the nation's economy. A co-operative is an enterprise which is owned by it's suppliers, customers and members. A business controlled by the people who work there, the people who use the services or the producers themselves owning the product and are involved in it's evolution right through the supply chain. It has a real community sense of involvement.

The Royal Australian Mint has produced a commemorative uncirculated one dollar in this theme, the reverse featuring building blocks and people working together to hold up those blocks which is the official logo for this year. It has been sculpted to suit a coin by Aaron Baggio. This one dollar is a collector $1 dubbed NCLT or non-circulating legal tender. It has the standard dollar specifications at 25mm, 9 grams and made from aluminium bronze. The obverse features the standard effigy of QEII by Ian Rank-Broadley. Issued in a collector card for $13.50, the mintage can be found in the 2012 One Dollar Issues and Mintages Table.

This coin has also been released in an Australia Post PNC for International Year or Co-operatives.

Dollars not Issued to Circulate

Dollar coins are usually worth more and can have a higher value if they are a design that was struck and not intended to circulate. These were released in collector packaging and are called NCLT -non circulating legal tender. They have the same specifications and are made from the same metal as a regular dollar but have not been issued for everyday trading. They have been issued simply to be collected. Sometimes these designs can be found in circulation when people have removed them from their packaging and spent them. In this case they can be worth much more than a dollar if found by the collector with a keen eye.
Examples:
1992 Barcelona
1994 Dollar Decade mintmark
1999 The Last Anzacs mintmark
2000 Victoria Cross
2009 Mob of Roos Dollar with Master Mintmark

These are just a few that have been released by the Royal Australian Mint. There have been many many more issued, see our complete guide to dollar coin issues, you will be surprised.

See dollar values part 1 for information about the value of circulation one dollars.

Left: Mob of Roos, Middle: 1986 Peace, Right: 2004 Suffrage

What is my Australian dollar coin worth?
Sadly, most circulation Australian decimal commemorative coins are a poor investment if you've purchased them for more than a dollar. If you've kept shiny new dollars from your change over the years that cost you a dollar then you won't lose out -they are still worth $1. If you're searching printed coin catalogues you will find that catalogue values in most cases are not even close to realised sales at public auction, online sites such as eBay or what you might be offered if you took your coins to a dealer. This is probably due to the sheer numbers of coins issued and their themes which both play an important role in desirability which helps to determine price.

The dollar coin has been issued in Australia since 1984 with the standard design and with many different commemorative designs for all sorts of occasions. The standard design is by Stuart Devlin and features five kangaroos and is nicknamed the mob of roos dollar. The mob of roos dollar was not issued into circulation for some years. Years such as 1987, 1989 and 1990 were found only in mint sets. Those $1 coins have a higher value than others found in circulation.

Dollar Specifications- Weight: 9 grams, Diameter: 25mm,Composition: Aluminium Bronze, Shape: Round, Edge Reeding: Intermittent.

Most commemorative designs found in circulation that may have been hoarded aren't worth a particular premium over their face value however much of a novelty they are.
These include: 1986 Peace, 1988 First Fleet Bicentenary, 1993 Landcare, 1996 Parkes, 2001 Centenary of Federation.

There have been many many Australian commemorative dollars minted, more than you probably imagine. Take a look at our dollar coin issues list! For collector dollars and those minted not-for-circulation see part 2 collector dollar values.

The Australian $1 coin has been issued with 3 different obverse portraits of Queen Elizabeth II -the heads side!

1984 Arnold Machin
1985-1998 Raphael Maklouf
1998 -present Ian Rank-Broadley

Portraits found on One Dollar coins, from left Machin, Maklouf and Rank-Broadley

Notice the dollar coin you got in change looks a little different to others you have seen? Different is good, different is unique, different can often add value!

The 2000 $1/10c Mule

Error or varieties of the Australian dollar coin are often worth more than their face value of one dollar. The most famous being the 2000 $1 mule where 6-7,000 dollars were struck with the obverse die meant for the 10c piece! Another variety is the 2001 Centenary of Federation upset where the obverse (heads) die rotated through the degrees of the clockface during the production run. The mob of roos dollar is prone to breaks of the die where you'll see cuds such as a second tail on a roo (double tail), a rabbit ear, a backpack or spew roo.

Error coins when proved to be a genuine minting mistake can add tens or hundreds of dollars value to your one dollar coin. Coins "fiddled" with in the backyard toolshed are not (it is an offense to deface currency). A rim defect known as a partial collar might see a dollar sell for $50. An off centre strike might see your dollar sell for $200. Maybe you'll be lucky like this Safeway shopper who got a $1 struck on a blank meant for a Venezuelan Bolivar in her change! See the complete errors list, a lot of which can be found on the Australian one dollar.

Dollars struck and not intended to circulation can also have a higher value, see part 2.

2010 Spew roo and Backpack - double cud error!

The double tail roo -this example from 2008

2012 Year of the Farmer One Dollar

Australian Year of the Farmer celebrates the vital role Australian farmers in the agricultural industry have in providing us with food, clothing and housing. With 136,000 farms across the country, these are the lifeblood of the broader agri-business sector injecting more than $405 billion into the Australian economy -27% of Australia's GDP! Manufacturers, marketers, researchers, scientists and retailers are all maintained by primary production.

The first European farm was established in 1789 and since then through drought and flood Aussie farmers have striven to bring consumers and manufacturers the best produce, fibres and materials.

Celebrating the efforts of the Australian farmer the Royal Australian Mint has struck a legal tender one dollar coin for collectors. Designed by Wojciech Pietranik the reverse features linear fields of farming activities. From bales of hay to crops of wheat, sheep, cattle, pigs and poultry to the most important dam and trough water source, farmhouse and farm sheds. Sneak a close look at one of the bales of hay and you'll see Wojciech's initials, look even closer and you'll see a chicken crossing the road!

The obverse features Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley with his initials and the date of 2012.

This dollar is the standard 25mm size made from aluminium bronze. Issued in uncirculated finish it weighs 9 grams and is issued in a protective capsule in a colourful collector card for $13.50. For the most up to date mintage see the 2012 issues and mintages table.

2012 Australian Open Coins Men's (left) Women's (right)

There were two coins minted for the Australian Open Tennis in 2012. One features the men's trophy and one the women's trophy. They are very similar coins and if seen apart it might be difficult to differentiate which coin is which. Hence the reason for the above image of both coins side by side to help determine which coin is which.

The silhouette on the women's coin is of the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup (right). This cup is tall and slender with a wreath and crossed tennis racquets on the top with fine handles.

The silhouette on the men's coin is of the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup (left). A more solid shorter fatter cup with strong handles.

When viewing the coins side by side it's easy to see the differences in both designs by the RAM's Wojciech Pietranik.