Lot 173
ex Benchmark Collection. Only 4 coins graded higher
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Literature:
- 355 Medium:
- Collectibles Circa:
- Coins, Monies & Stamps Notes:
- In 1919 Great Britain began to reduce the silver content of its coinage to fifty per cent as a means to repay its large war debt. At the same time the steady rise in the unpegged price of silver caused Australia to contemplate the debasement of its silver coins, and pattern shillings and florins were prepared with the 'M' below the date and a star above the date to signify the change in metal content. The change appeared certain when silver spiked in early 1921 and master dies for sixpences and shillings were prepared with the star above the date but with the mint mark below removed. However, just as quickly the price of silver abated and the reason for the mark became obsolete. Some 1921 sixpences show evidence of a star having been removed from the die and so it is quite tempting to attribute the striking of these coins to the Sydney Mint which was responsible for the total mintage of 1921 * shillings. However, the relative scarcity of coins with an evident field depression does not match up with Sydney's production of 1,705,000 sixpences against Melbourne's 2,631,288 and so this conclusion cannot be justified. At this stage, it is not thought possible to distinguish the Melbourne and Sydney strikes of this date. Sixpences with a clear depression above the date appeal to variety collectors and can command a premium because of their relative scarcity.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| A$0 | A$99 | A$5 |
| A$100 | A$999 | A$10 |
| A$1,000 | A$4,999 | A$50 |
| A$5,000 | A$9,999 | A$100 |
| A$10,000 + | A$250 |