1923 Halfpenny

While this all sounds very technical, these attributes and in particular the solid presence of the seventh and eighth pearl in the band of the crown confirms that this is a premium quality 1923 Halfpenny.

For decades collectors have challenged the 1923 Halfpenny mintage recorded in the Sydney Mint Annual Report. The mintage was recorded as 1,113,600. Collectors cited the coin's incredible scarcity out in the market place relative to the recorded figure.

John Sharples, at the time Curator of Australia’s National Coin Archives set the record straight when he undertook an analysis of production at both the Sydney and Melbourne Mints. His research confirmed that the 1,113,600 halfpennies struck at the Sydney Mint were in fact dated 1922.

We now know that the 1923 Halfpenny was struck at the Melbourne Mint and in a mintage of approximately 15,000, confirming its status as Australia’s rarest circulating halfpenny.