Perhaps you’ve been digging in the garden and turned up a silvery coin, about the size of a 20 cent coin. Or maybe you’re at your grandparents and they’ve given you some coins to look at and among them are some unfamiliar looking coins, again the size of a 20 cent. One side has a kangaroo and emu facing each other across a shield. Above or below the kangaroo and emu might be the word “florin” and a date. The other side has the portrait of a young woman, or perhaps a man. If it’s a man he might be bare headed or he might have a crown. What you’ve got in your hands is a florin.

Florins, are 20 cent sized silver coins that also weigh the same as a 20 cent coin (11.3 grams). Florins circulated in Australia before we changed over to decimal currency in 1966. They were worth two shillings and were known as “two bob”, 10 florins made up a pound and there were 24 pennies to each florin. Back in 1960 the average wage was nearly 18 pounds and a loaf of bread cost 18 pence, so one florin would buy you a loaf of bread and give you sixpence change. Compare that to 2013 where the average cost of a loaf is $3.00 and you get the idea that this one silver coin had the purchasing power of nearly $4 in 1960. So if you’ve found some old Australian florins you’re probably wondering what are they worth? Well here’s what you need to do to work that out.

Don’t Clean Them

This may seem a little strange but the first thing you can do to determine the value of your florins is to under no circumstances clean them. But, I hear you say, they are dirty and grotty and they’d look so much nicer if they were shiny. Well, you might think that, but coin collectors being the funny lot they are LOVE coins in original condition. And once you clean a coin it’s no longer original and it’s not as attractive to them. One careless scrub with your dish scourer can instantly turn a florin that might be worth $50 to a coin collector into a $4 coin that’s only fit for the silver melt bucket. So, let me say it again, DONT CLEAN YOUR OLD FLORINS.

Sort Them Into Two Piles By Date

If you’re lucky enough to have more than one florin then you need to sort them into two piles. Look for the date on each coin, it will be on the side with the kangaroo and emu and at the bottom of the coin. Above I’ve (rather helpfully) created an image of the reverses (or tails sides) of all the Australian florins you’re likely to see. Note that usually the date is at the bottom but on some of the commemorative coins (the ones with the different designs) the date moves about a bit.

Anyway, back onto sorting the coins. On your left, make a pile of all the coins with a date BEFORE 1946. On your right make a pile of all the coins with a date with 1946 and later. Once you’re done sorting look at the two piles. The one on the left is 92.5% silver (also known as sterling silver) and those florins are known as “pre” florins. The one on the right is 50% silver and those florins are known as “post” florins. So, if nothing else the old florins you’ve found are worth something in silver. How much exactly? Well, the “pre” florins have about 1/3 of an ounce of silver in them and at the time of writing (May 2014) they were worth AU$7.09 each. And the post florins? They have 0.1818 of an ounce of silver in each one and at the time of writing they were worth AU$3.83 each.

You’re probably thinking, great, these florins are actually worth something just because of the silver in them! And, yes, that is great but before you rush off to the local silver merchant to have them melted down we need to take a MUCH closer look at the dates on each coin.

Look at the Dates On the Left Pile

Some florin dates and designs are worth more than others. Usually this is because of lower mintages and some other factors that we wont bother going into now. Examine the dates of each coin in the pile to your left (they are the ones dated BEFORE 1946). Put aside any of these dates:

• 1910 Florin
• 1914H Florin
• 1915 and 1915H florins
• 1932 Florin
• 1933 Florin
• 1934-5 Centenary Florin
• 1939 Florin

If you find any of those then congratulations they are all worth MORE than the silver they contain. Mostly at least DOUBLE the silver content. And if you’re really in luck and one of those old florins is dated 1932 then you’ve really scored. Those coins are worth at least $100 regardless of how worn they are. If you’re STUPENDOUSLY lucky then you’ve found a florin dated 1934-5 that looks very different to the others, showing someone riding a horse on the tails side of the coin rather than the usual kangaroo and emu. These are Centennial Florins and usually worth at least $200-$300 regardless of condition. In the earlier image of the tails sides of all the Australian florins the Centenary Florin reverse is the one at the top right.

While you’re looking at your “pre” florins it’s highly likely that you’ll see some that have a picture of a building on the “tails” side of the coin and are dated 1927. These are known as Parliament florins and were the first commemorative coins issued in Australia. You’ll probably notice that the guy on the “heads” side of these 1927 coins looks a little different to all the others too. If you look at the image below you can see the “heads” side of Parliament florins at the top right. Despite being pretty coins Parliament florins are, a bit sadly, usually only worth the silver they contain unless they are in “mint” condition. Mint condition is basically what a coin looked like the day it was made. And don’t go thinking that giving a coin a quick polish to make it shiny restores it to “mint” condition. This polishing is easily picked by experienced coin collectors and dealers and your polish has effectively ruined the coin.

Look at the Coins on the Right Pile

For “post” florins the date is not really the determining factor in the value of the coin. It’s what’s known as “condition” or “grade”. If a “post” florin is uncirculated then it can be worth more than the silver it contains. If it’s not, well almost all of them are really only worth the silver content. How can you tell the grade of a florin? Well, that’s not an easy topic that can be explained in this article. I’d suggest taking them to a reputable coin dealer and asking him or her to offer a grade on them. Some dealers won’t do this for free though. Or alternatively look at the coins they are selling and compare yours to those. Another option is to take good clear images of the coins and post them up onto a coin forum for Australian coins or maybe even our own Facebook page and ask for a grade. If you’re lucky people will offer you an opinion on both grade and potential value.

There’s one warning I must give about grading. It is a difficult art and just a few blemishes that are not even noticed by the coin grading novice can render what you believe to be a pristine coin into a coin only fit to be sold for silver value and sometimes this is difficult to pick in hand or from a photo or image.

What Next?

If you’ve got to this point you’ll have put aside any coins that are worth more than the others and you’ll have a pile of “pre” and “post” florins that we’ll call “bullion florins”. You can work out what the silver value of the “bullion florins” is by using our silver coin calculator here. Remember though, if you try to sell those coins to a coin dealer or silver merchant they won’t offer you the full silver value, because they need to make a profit. If you try selling them on an online auction site (like eBay) you might get the full silver value but of course you’ll need to pay the auction site fees.

So what about the other dates that we’ve decided are worth more? Well the values of those is almost entirely dependent on the grade. As I’ve said already you can get grade opinions from coin dealers or online forums. But remember opinions are just that, opinions, and will only serve to give you some idea of the value of your coins. Another option is to buy an Australian Coin Catalogue and armed with that and some grading skills you can get some idea of value. Let me give you two great big tips though. First, the values in coin catalogues are RETAIL VALUES and you’ll almost never get offered those prices if you try to sell your coins. Actually if you try to sell coins to a dealer you’ll be lucky to get HALF of what the values are in a a catalogue.

Second, coin catalogues include prices for coins known as “specimens” and “proofs” and for Australian florins the values of those can have as many digits as phone numbers. Those values can be alluring and it’s tempting to think that the florins you’ve found are “proofs” or “specimens” but they almost certainly are not. Nothing will upset a coin dealer more quickly and thoroughly when you’re trying to sell some coins to him and you insist that they are proofs or specimens in an attempt to get more for your coins. It won’t work so don’t try it.

If you decide to sell your found florins to a coin dealer they’ll grade them for you and give you an offer for them. But, again, remember they need to made a profit so don’t expect to get rich. If you want to try selling them yourself using an online auction site then take good clear images of the coins and list them up and let the market decide their grade and value.

I Don’t Want to Sell My Florins, I Want to Keep Them!

If you decide to keep your florins then great, welcome to the world of coin collecting. I strongly suggest read our coin storage recommendations. It would be a shame to have spent all this time working out the florins you found are worth real money and then to have them ruined by choosing the wrong storage system.

You’ve found a bunch of old brown coins hidden away or in a drawer and you’re wondering if they’re worth anything?

Do Australian Pennies Have any Value?

The tails side of an Australian Penny either says “Commonwealth of Australia” and “ONE PENNY” or shows a kangaroos facing left with AUSTRALIA above and PENNY below. On the head side we might see the Kings George V, VI or Queen Elizabeth II. The Australian Penny was issued with the dates 1911 to 1964 and the diameter should be 30.8 millimeters. Aussie pennies should weigh 9.45 grams, but this can vary by up to half a gram and a worn coin that’s been in many pockets would typically weigh less.

So What are the Valuable Australian Pennies?

There are three key dates to look out for when looking through Australian Pennies and trying to work out their value.

1930 penny -number minted 1,200 coins. Value $10,000+

The 1930 penny is not only the best known Australian penny, it’s almost certainly the best known Australian rare coin. It also happens to be one of the most valuable Australian pennies. It’s very unlikely that you’d find one of these. However, if you do find a penny dated 1930 and your coin doesn’t say Commonwealth of Australia but features a lady sitting on a rock facing to the right of the coin and holding a trident then it’s a British 1930 penny. These are often used to fill a hole in a set of pennies. By the way, that lady on the rock? That’s Britannia, the female representation of Great Britain.

1925 penny -number minted 117,000 coins. Value $100 +

1946 penny -number minted 363,000 coins. Value $50 +

The other two “keydate” Australian pennies that you might find are the 1925 and 1946 penny. The 1925 has the Commonwealth of Australia design on the tails side, while the 1946 penny has a kangaroo on the tails side. Both are well worth looking for.

1933/2 overdate penny. Value $20+

If you’ve picked out all the 1933 pennies, you’ll need to look very closely at the last 3 in the date and you’ll probably need some sort of magnifying glass or loupe. If, beneath the 3 it looks to have a curve at the top that might have once been a 2, then you could have found an overdate. Read more about overdates here.

Beware of Fakes

There are many fake or counterfeit coins bearing these dates so if you do find a valuable penny then you’ll need to have it evaluated by an expert. A good coin dealer can determine if it’s genuine and grade your coin. Sometimes they’ll do this for free, other times they may charge a small fee to do so.

Look for Penny Varieties

There are also some varieties to look out for and if you’re keen to know more you should pick up an Aussie coin catalogue or head to your local library and borrow a coin book to read up on what to look out for.

Grading and Storing your Pennies

To more accurately determine the value of your Australian penny you should be aware it’s ALL about condition. A bright orange/red coin with full design details present that looks as good as the day it left the Mint will be worth considerably more than an old brown worn penny. Pennies are made from bronze and left the Mint looking a bight orange/red. They’ve turned brown over the years with exposure to the environment which is called toning.

Giving them a brighten up with a soak in Coca Cola or a polish up with Brasso is a huge no-no. Coin collectors and dealers can tell immediately if a coin has been cleaned and this will dramatically reduce the value of your penny.

You can look out for pennies with green spots, this is called verdigris and is a kind of copper cancer which will spread. Any coins you find with this green verdigris present should immediately be removed to a quarantine bag so it doesn’t spread to the other coins.

If you’re not a coin collector and don’t have the proper coin storage accessories then a polypropylene bag such as a food grade zip lock bag will be adequate to store your coin horde in.

Keep in mind the more the coins jostle about together the more worn they become so any better looking coins might best be stored in their own bag.

So what’s the value of this pile of Australian pennies?

Now that you’ve removed the key date coins and any that need further investigating or quarantining, what’s left? A pile of bronze. If you take those to a coin dealer then you’ll probably be offered a price per kilo or perhaps a small price per coin for your pennies..

In 1988 the Royal Australian Mint produced it’s first 5 dollar coin commemorating the opening of New Parliament House in Canberra. Celebrating it’s 25th birthday this year with the release of Australia’s first triangle shaped Parliament House silver proof 5 dollar coin we look back at the coin that brought new blood into collecting.

Three million of these uncirculated aluminium bronze 5 dollar coins were commissioned and distributed by the Commonwealth Bank at face value in 1988 in celebration of the opening of New Parliament House. They were issued in 2 types of similar packaging, a sealed cellophane type (seen here) and a pvc flip. Because they were so easy to obtain from your local Commonwealth Bank branch and quite special at the time these were collected and talked about sparking interest in collecting that has spanned decades.

Quite sadly though these 1988 Parliament House $5 coins were never a good long term investment on your 5 dollar outlay with the recommendation today is that you take your coin to the bank and redeem your $5 face value back.