Third party graded coins are proving increasingly popular with collectors, particularly those graded by PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service). For a fee they will grade your coin on the Sheldon scale of 1-70, with 70 being the highest grade achievable. Few coins will achieve the highest 70 grade and for a lot of denominations and dates it’s something that we’ll never see. For modern proof coins well-packaged direct from the Mint this is a possible grade if you search many sets to find the perfect coin.

Among near perfect PR67, PR68 and PR69 PCGS graded Australian decimal proofs stood some perfect examples graded PR70DC in the most recent Numisbid online auction and they wowed us with their realised prices. We spoke of the 1983 50 cent proof in a previous article but it’s worth taking a step back and viewing the broader results of these proof decimal coins. The proof 50c which sold for $3,403.50 was the standout but the proof 1 cent PR70RDDC sold for $900, the 5 cent PR70DC sold for $550 and the 10 cent PR70DC sold for $706, again bid up to a high level with competition. Compare these with denominations from the same year with a one point lower grade, a PR69DC 20 cent selling for $35 and the 2 cent PR69RDDC selling for $95. Looking broadly at these prices it’s clear the top grade is fiercely contended in a bidding situation.

And so it should be. As easy as it might seem to buy a set and get it slabbed it’s not that simple and often it will seem like pot luck that a coin makes a 70 grade. To look at those two coins in hand you probably couldn’t immediately pick the 70 grade. But the highest grade coin will be flawless with immaculate surfaces and strike and no spots, bumps or imperfections. Certainly a coin you want to keep.

It’s these top population coins that will keep you at the top of the PCGS set registry. What is the set registry? Anyone can join and add their PCGS graded coins to their sets on the PCGS website which will compare your sets with others. Collectors are always seeking to better their coins to increase their rankings on the set registry. It’s really just a higher class of the age old collecting advice “collect the best you can afford” then upgrade over time as you find better coins. Given you can’t be outdone by a coin in the top grade of PR70 it’s a great coin to get started with if you can afford it.

Australian $1 Coins with Stamped Numbers

The most common question we get from readers of our Blog is something like:

Hi, I was wondering if a $2 coin with two ‘2’s printed/embedded on the heads side was worth anything? They are a third of the size of the normal ‘2’ on the coin

and

hi i just found a 1984 $1 coin (roos on the front) and on the back beside the queen is a big number 6 stamped on it. is this a legitamite coin and if so why the 6. i have never seen it before.

and

I have a $1 1994 australian coin and on the queens head side there is the number 5 etched/stamped just under her chin, which extends down to just above the date 1994. Is this an error or someone tampering with the coin?

and

I have a 1984 $1 mob of roos coin stamped with an S. on the bust side on the queens right sholder. I cannot find any info on the coin. Kind Regards.

and

Hi,I’m looking for information on the Australian 50 cent piece. I have one that has a “3” imprinted on the obverse side inbetween the date (1981) and the queens shoulder. Do you know anything about this kind of thing?

These markings are most commonly found on the 1 dollar coin but have been found on the 50 cent, 20c and 5 cent piece. The markings are always a number or letter stamped into one side of the coin. We are often asked how this has happened, what is it and is it worth anything? The number or letter appears to be stamped or punched onto the coin and has definitely been done after the coin has left the Mint and is called PMD or post mint damage.

Funnily enough all the ones we have found ourselves have been numbers stamped onto dollar coins and the font used is the same indicating they are from the same or similar source. It’s likely these coins have been marked to identify them again even though defacing currency is an offense. A possible scenario is the testing of vending machines.

In short whilst these coins with stamped numbers are interesting to find and I’ve often thought finding a whole set might be cool I could easily make these in my back shed with a set of punches and a hammer. They are not valuable and are still simply worth their face value but worth keeping as a curiosity if they strike a chord with you.

One of your authors (and two children) had the opportunity to visit the South Australian Maritime Museum on Lipson Street, Port Adelaide recently and as well as being very interesting, the displays included a number of numismatic items. Always keen to blog about something different we thought it would be worth sharing the items of numismatic interest with you, our good readers.

Great Britain 1723 SSC Shilling

Shown above is a 1723 SSC (South Sea Company) Shilling from Great Britain. These coins were minted from silver discovered by the South Sea Company in Indonesia that was then shipped back to Britain. They bear an SSC mintmark and show the portrait of George I. This one was part of a display on naval medical care, and in particular the improvement in health of sailors after the British Navy stopped fining sailors found to have venereal disease.

World War 1 Death Penny

Hidden away in a section of a museum that included a variety of items relating to the local area of Port Adelaide was this World War 1 Death Plaque of David Neil Willamson, a local Port Adelaide resident. These plaques, also known as “Death Pennies” were issues to relatives of British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in service in World War 1. They are becoming increasingly collectable because of the centenary of World War 1.

Bravery Medals

Above you can see three bravery medals that were awarded to one Henry Perry and some firefighters in 1910. They helped out when the ship South Africa caught fire and exploded, causing another explosion in a nearby torpedo station. This all happened in the Port River which is about 100 meters away from the Maritime Museum.

Shipwreck Pieces of 8

This small hoard was on loan from the West Australian museum and were recovered from the Gilt Dragon (Vergulde Draeck) shipwreck on the West Australian coast in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These “cob” type 8 reale coins are typical of the coins found on that wreck. They were minted in the Spanish colonies and used as a universal form of trade. The Gilt Dragon was a Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship that was wrecked on the journey from Holland to Indonesia.

Baudin Medal

Above is a medal minted to mark the voyage of Nicholas Baudin from Europe to Australia from 1800 to 1803. Most famously, in Australia, Baudin’s ship encountered the ship of naturalist Matthew Flinders in a rocky bay to the south of the future site of Adelaide. The bay was named by Flinders as Encounter Bay and is next to the south coast town of Victor Harbor.

Shipwreck Coins from the Dunbar

The museum had a number loose coins and tokens and an impressive encrustation of coins from the wreck of the Dunbar. The ship was wrecked at the entrance to Sydney Harbour in 1857 with the loss of all but one passengers and crew. The survivor was not discovered for a number of days after the wreck. Much of the population of Sydney traveled to the scene of the wreck to spectate and many of them found they had to help identify relatives, friends, and business associates who were among the dead.

Centenary of South Australia Medal

The medal above was found in the section of the museum that covered how the colony of South Australia was founded in 1836 and populated during the following periods of migration. Catalogued in Carlisle as 1936/1 the above gilt bronze medals were given to all South Australian school children in 1936, the centenary of the founding of South Australia.

Fundraising Badges

Found at various points through the museum were groups of tin, pin back badges that were sold for fund-raising purposes. While not strictly numismatic they are interesting because they were particularly popular in South Australia in the early part of the 20th century. “Tinnies” were used to raise funds for various events, including seaman’s unions and charities, returned military societies, and the ones above, for regattas held at Henley Beach in 1918 and 1919.

Convict Love Tokens

The last item of interest was a group of three ‘love tokens’ from the collection of renowned South Australian numismatist, Peter Lane. Love tokens (at least from a numismatic sense) are coins that have been smoothed on one or both sides and then engraved or carved by hand. The tokens are then given as a gift to a loved one. The tokens on display were of particular interest because they are convict love tokens, made by prisoners in early colonial Australia.

In Closing

The South Australian Maritime Museum is well worth the visit if you’re here in Adelaide. During the school holidays they have a daily historical (and quite entertaining) show to keep the kids amused for 30 minutes or so. Couple that with the excellent displays, a full sized sloop that can be explored from keel to mast-top, and a sprinkling of numismatic items on display and you’re sure to be kept interested for a couple of hours. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for the kids, and includes a visit to the nearby lighthouse and a discount for other local museums.