Commonwealth of Australia 1930 Penny from the Alan Alcock Collection, sold with original Royal Australian Mint and Downies paperwork, coin number 2

Examining a 1930 Penny is a three-point process.

Step 1 is to look at the coin in the flesh using just the naked eye.

A truly great coin will always look good to the unaided eye. And this coin is a beauty!

The reverse has strong definition in the upper and lower scrolls. The fields are highly reflective with even, handsome chestnut brown toning. And minimal marks in the fields. Solid edges.

The inner beading is crisp and intact, the legend 'COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA' and date '1930' are powerful.

Moving the obverse through the light you observe the strong design details of the monarch's robes and the minimal wear to the king's eyebrow and moustache. We also comment on the highly reflective obverse fields, the handsome chestnut brown toning and the solid edges.

Step 2 is to take up a magnifying glass and examine the coin in detail.

The eye glass re-confirms what we have seen to the naked eye ... and much, much more.

This coin has two sides of the central diamond and six pearls. The oval to the left of the central diamond is partially intact.

Step 3 is to re-visit the coin with the naked eye just to make sure that you have taken everything in.

The final assessment of this 1930 Penny confirms that it is a great coin and passes our three-point assessment with flying colours.

Certificate of Authenticity from the Royal Australian Mint Canberra issued in 1978, And sales invoice to Gary Hutchins from Downies dated 1991.

Four reasons why collectors love the 1930 Penny.

Reason 1. One of the prime reasons for the popularity of the 1930 Penny is its financial reliability. It is a solid coin.

Reason 2. In fact, we would go one step further and say that over the long term the 1930 Penny has probably been one of our most consistent and trustworthy numismatic performers.

Reason 3. The 1930 Penny is as Australian as you can get. Struck during the Great Depression, the 1930 Penny is the nation’s glamour coin and is unrivalled for popularity, enjoying a constant stream of demand unmatched by any other numismatic rarity.

Reason 4. The coin is an industry phenomenon, for in a market that is quality focused it is interesting to note that the 1930 Penny is keenly sought irrespective of its quality ranking. And growth over the mid to long term has been significant across all quality levels.

Well circulated (Fine) 1930 Pennies were selling for £50 in the 1950s. A decade later, by decimal changeover, the coins were fetching £255 ($510). By 1988, Australia's Bicentenary, a Fine 1930 Penny had reached $6000. The turn of the century saw 1930 Penny prices move to a minimum of $13,000. Twenty years later prices have more than doubled.

And with a 100th anniversary just seven years away, the push to acquire Australia’s favourite Penny is really on.

If you want to acquire a 1930 Penny, buy one that stands out from the rest. And this coin certainly does that.

And it stands out not just because of its technical grading which is in the orange section of the pie chart below. But because it has miraculously escaped harsh treatment during its time in circulation. And that’s a total fluke!