​July’s theme was talking about non circulated DC coins, the ones not minted for circulation.
 
This surprised most members & now they realise that’s why they can’t find some whilst noodling or in their change.

We then moved onto Iconic Australian coins from 1910 to the first KCiii set of 2024. A few members had some of them.
 
Next we moved onto “favorite members coins”. These were passed around for all to see. Rupe showed us his pre-1940’s Persian, collected by his father whilst working in that country.

Gary produced old newspaper releases, which showed how the price of coins has sky rocketed. 

The afternoon was rounded off with general discussion.
​
David Lowing                                                                 

The focus of our June meeting was Australian history as it related to currency. Proclamation Coins and Japanese Invasion Money were episodes of history that created interest for Coin Collectors.  

Proclamation Coins:

Australian Proclamation coins were a diverse mix of foreign silver and gold currencies officially designated as the penal colony’s first regulated legal tender.

When Great Britain established the penal colony in New South Wales in 1788, it failed to provide an official internal currency system. Instead, the early economy relied on a volatile combination of bartered goods (especially rum), promissory notes, and a chaotic assortment of international coins brought by sailors, military personnel, and foreign trading ships. Because merchants demanded hard currency for imported goods, coins were continuously drained out of the local economy.

To stabilize the economy, stop currency from leaving the country, and establish standard pricing, the third Governor of New South Wales, Philip Gidley King, issued a formal Currency Proclamation on 19 November 1800.

Governor King legally recognized 11 specific international coins and overvalued them within the colony compared to their intrinsic metal worth. Overvaluing the coins meant that a piece of money was worth significantly more if kept and spent within Australia; if taken overseas, it reverted to its lower global face value, effectively discouraging merchants from removing wealth from the colony.

The 11 Proclaimed Coins and Assigned Values: The official coins named in King’s 1800 decree spanned across global empires: Portuguese Johanna: Valued at £4 (the highest value assigned, often called "The Prize of the Proclamation").

Portuguese Half Johanna: Valued at £2.
British Gold Guinea: Valued at £1 2s.
Spanish Silver Dollar (8 Reales): Valued at 5s.
Indian Gold Mohur: Valued at £1 17s 6d.
Netherlands Gold Ducat: Valued at 9s 6d.
Indian Gold Pagoda: Valued at 8s.
German Ducat: Valued at 9s 6d.
Indian Silver Rupee: Valued at 2s 6d.
Netherlands Silver Guilder: Valued at 2s.
British Silver Shilling: Valued at 1s 1d.
British Copper Penny ("Cartwheel"): Valued at 2d (inflated from its face value of 1d).

Japanese Invasion Money (JIM):

Is the collective term for the military currency issued by the Imperial Japanese Government during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, as Japan rapidly expanded its empire across the Pacific and Southeast Asia, it systematically confiscated all local "hard" currencies and bullion to fund its military machine. In their place, Japan forced captured populations to adopt newly printed, unbacked paper banknotes.

Rather than standardizing on the Japanese Yen, Japan chose to print notes denominated in the existing currencies of the conquered regions, creating a weaponized economic tool that ultimately caused catastrophic hyperinflation.

The Imperial Japanese Mint printed custom banknotes tailored to the specific region they intended to occupy, which can be identified by the text and denominations on the notes. These five main currency zones included The Philippines (Peso & Centavo), Malaya, Borneo, and Singapore (Dollar & Cent), Burma (Rupee & Cents), The Dutch East Indies (Gulden & Roepiah) and Oceania & The "Australia Scare" (Pound & Shilling)
​
The Australian JIM was issued in 1942 for use in captured British and Australian mandated territories, including the Solomon Islands, New Britain, and Papua New Guinea. Rumors spread that because these banknotes were printed in English using Pounds and Shillings (the currency of Australia at the time), a widespread panic rippled through Australia and New Zealand that these notes were a physical indicator of an impending mainland invasion.

​To speed up mass production, early low-denomination JIM notes did not have individual, unique serial numbers. Instead, they featured "Block Letters". The first letter of the block indicated the country of destination (e.g., "P" for Philippines, "M" for Malaya, "B" for Burma, and "O" for Oceania).

​Historically, the Imperial Japanese Navy did propose an invasion of mainland Australia, but it was officially rejected by the army. These notes were structurally meant for the  Pacific Island networks.

Have you ever wondered how vision impaired people deal with cash money?

Our May meeting explored how our coins and notes have inbuilt features or clues for the vision impaired, that use Australian developed world breaking technology.

Decimal Coins: Coins have graduated sizes, different weights and edge milling (tactile grooves)

Size:

• The 50-Cent Coin: This is the easiest to identify because it is the largest Australian coin and the only one with 12 flat sides (dodecagonal). It has a diameter of approximately 31.65mm across its flats.
• Graduated Sizes: The silver-colored cent coins increase in size according to their value, with the 5c being the smallest (19.41mm) and the 20c being the largest round coin (28.65mm).
• The $2 vs. $1: While both are gold-colored, the $2 coin is smaller in diameter (20.50mm) than the $1 coin (25.00mm)

Edge Milling (Tactile Grooves)
The edges of the coins, known as "milling," are a primary way to tell similarly sized coins apart by touch:

• Continuous Milling: The 5c, 10c, and 20c coins have fully reeded (grooved) edges that feel rough all the way around.
• Interrupted Milling: The $1 and $2 coins feature "interrupted milling," which consists of alternating smooth and grooved sections.
• Plain Edge: The current 50c coin has a smooth, plain edge.

Thickness and Weight
The $2 Thickness: To avoid confusion with the 5c coin (which is only ~1mm smaller in diameter), the $2 coin is significantly thicker at 2.80mm, compared to the 5c's 1.30mm.
Weight Ratios: The silver 5c, 10c, and 20c coins are minted so that their weight is proportional to their value (e.g., two 10c coins weigh the same as one 20c coin), which can help with identification by feel.

Bank Notes: The latest bank notes (clear window runs full width of note) have three unique features.

Tactile Bumps.
The most significant feature on the current series of polymer banknotes is a set of raised, embossed bumps located on each of the long edges. These are designed to be simple and durable, allowing for discrete identification by touch: -
$5 note: One raised bump.
$10 note: Two raised bumps.
$20 note: Three raised bumps.
$50 note: Four raised bumps.
$100 note: Five raised bumps.
 
These bumps are positioned slightly left of center on the top edge, ensuring they can be found regardless of which way the note is held

Physical Size Differences
Australian banknotes vary in length, increasing by exactly 7mm for each higher denomination. All notes maintain a constant height of 65mm.
$5: 130mm
$10: 137mm
$20: 144mm
$50: 151mm
$100: 158mm
 
Colour/Visual Features
For those with partial sight, the notes use high-contrast colors (e.g., bright pink for $5, blue for $10) and large, bold numerals to make them easier to distinguish at a glance.

After discussing the various clues to identifying coins, our group undertook a blind test with a bag of various denomination coins. Each member was asked without looking to pull a coin from the bag based purely on feel. This proved to be an interesting experience.

The meeting finished off with a multiple-choice trivia quiz on coins and notes.

​Keep noodling!


Doug Smith

​A number of our new members were particularity interested in some of the topics we had previously covered in past years so our April meeting went back to basics to revisit some aspects of coin collecting.

We covered the topic of Error and Variety coins. By definition an Error Coin is a product of the minting process. A Variety Coin is the product of the die and die making process. The saying is “any coin that looks different is worth exploring further”.

To make it simple we called all coins Error Coins whether they were Error/Variety examples. Some of the common “error coins” looked at included

• Wave gap on 20c piece
• Double Bar on 1966 50c piece
• Wavy 2 on 1966 20c piece
• Skinny leg on number 7 50 cent piece
• Coin rotations – where head/tail do not line up
• Dots and their meaning on pre-decimal coins like halfpennies and pennies

​The group viewed several YouTube videos where the reason for these errors were explained and what coin denominations and mint date to look for while noodling.

Several examples were circulated at the meeting of a wave gap appearing on the obverse side of the 20 cent (platypus) pieces. The gap is very small and requires a keen eye to detect it. (see photos above)

Attention among members was high as we conducted a Q&A multiple choice trivia quiz. This also served as an educational tool.

One new coin to watch out for is the about to be released the 2026 $1 coin. One dollar coins have the Mob of Roos on the reverse (tail side). Instead of the normal five roos, the 2026 coin has an added roo making it 6 roos in total, marking the 60th year of decimal currency.

Keep noodling


Doug Smith

Doug Smith

​It seemed a long while coming since our last meeting in November 2025, but our first Coin Collectors meeting for 2026 finally happened on 23rd February. We were pleased to welcome the return of most of our rusted-on regulars and several new members to our group.

After introductions around the table, we got into some revision with a Power Point show of the monthly topics from our 2025 sessions. This was particularly beneficial for our new members and set the scene for what to expect in 2026.

​We then viewed several “behind the scenes” YouTube videos on the Royal Australian Mint (RAM). These showed the coin making processes and gave some interesting statistics on numbers of coins able to be minted per day.

The group then viewed a listing of each the world’s 193 countries coins and their names. Did you know that El Salvador is the Colon and Ukraine is the Ukrainian Hryvnia?

Our members were invited to bring along a coin they considered special to them. We assembled these coins on a table where the coin owners spoke about the background to their coin. Of particular interest was a set of coins from the United State. We were told, unlike Australia, each of the 50 States mints their own coins. These coins were presented in a very attract wooden box (see photo above).

Gold

Gold is a fascinating element and particularly so when incorporated into coins. Current gold prices have risen dramatically (doubled) in the last 5 years and are currently around A$6,200 per troy ounce. (see graph above)

Gold is unique because there’s not that much easily accessible gold, and mining is resource intensive. It’s highly malleable, doesn’t corrode, and has a distinctive lustre and people all over the world accept gold. 

Many gold coins are actually bullion coins, meaning they’re made for investment, not for daily spending. Coins (and bars) give investors physical ownership of gold and gold coins from well-known mints are easy to buy and sell.

Until 1932, Australia only printed money to the value of the gold it held. Today Australia only retains 80 tonnes of gold while The Bank of England stores the remaining 99%; and much of the world’s gold from other countries. An interesting point is that in 2024 Australia was the second highest gold producing country in the world at 330t, only preceded by China with 420t. 
 
Sovereign Coins

The evolution of the modern gold British Sovereign coin featuring St George slaying a dragon developed over many years. It started as a gold penny under the reign of Edward III (1327 and 1377), called the Noble and became firmly established as part of British currency. Over time is evolved with different names including The Angel, the Unite, the Laurel, the Guinea and eventually the Sovereign first introduced during the reign of HenryV11 (1485 to 1509). It went through a number of historical evolutionary changes before the modern Sovereign was established under the reign of George III (1760 to 1820).

Sovereigns continue to be struck in the modern day as bullion or investor coins rather than for circulation.

Australian sovereigns are gold coins minted between 1871 and 1931, representing a significant part of Australia's numismatic history and economy during the gold rush era.

Australian sovereigns are not just currency; they are historical artifacts that reflect a     pivotal time in Australia's development. Their unique characteristics and the stories      behind their minting make them valuable to collectors and historians alike. 

The reverse depicts St. George slaying the dragon, a classic design by Benedetto Pistrucci.

This design was used by the British Empire, including the UK, Australia, and South Africa, so the reverse alone does not identify the mint.

Australian sovereigns usually have a mint mark below the year:

• S = Sydney
• M = Melbourne
• P = Perth (less common)

1. South African (or British) sovereigns:
   • South Africa: SA or S for Pretoria
   • UK (London mint): no mint mark

Krugerrand Coin

The Krugerrand is a South African gold coin first issued in 1967.
It contains 1 troy ounce of pure gold (22-carat) and was created to make it easy for people to buy and own gold.

The name comes from two parts:

• “Kruger” – after Paul Kruger, former President of the South African Republic, whose portrait is on the coin.
• “Rand” – South Africa’s currency, the rand.

It is sought after by collectors and investors because it was the first modern bullion coin made for private gold ownership, is widely recognised worldwide, making it easy to buy and sell and it is official legal tender in South Africa.
 
The Krugerrand has several unique features including it was the first gold bullion coin made for public investment, it contains exactly 1 troy ounce of pure gold, but is made of 22-carat alloy, making it more durable and it has a very distinctive coppery-gold colour due to the copper alloy.

​Gold and silver are the two most precious metals that are used in minted coins produced by the Perth and Royal Australian mints. Coins were first produced as far back as 650 BCE (before the common era) using these elements.

At our October meeting we explored Australian commemorative gold and silver coins, the most popular of which is the gold and silver kangaroo produced by the Perth Mint, being one of only two (the other is Royal Australian Mint) authorized to mint legal tender. The face value of this coin is $100 but its intrinsic value is far greater because of its gold content.

Precious metals are valued for their purity with gold currently at around $6,000 per troy ounce and Silver $72 per troy ounce. Consequently, gold coins in particular have always be a target for forgeries.

Troy ounce is the standard metric weight measurement of gold and silver bullion. It is universally accepted at 31.2 grams as against an imperial ounce of 28.4 grams. The unit troy ounce was created in France in the12th century, to be the finest measurement for precious metals and equated to 480 grams of barley because of its consistent moisture content and weight.

Coins are minted to precise specifications of weight, thickness and diameter. Our group was presented with questionable gold and silver Kangaroo coins of .9999% purity, and asked to apply some physical tests to determine if any were fake.

Precious metals like gold and silver are non-magnetic but forged coins will generally have some ferrous content.  A1 troy oz (ozt) genuine gold coin of .9999% purity should weigh 31.2 grams. Any variation on this would suggest the coin is not pure gold and likely fake.
While weight is used to measure gold bullion purity, (gold is .9999%) for coins, gold jewelry purity is often expressed in carets. Pure gold is 24 carat or .9999%. Hence a ring with 22 carat gold has .9167% purity.

Our group had fun testing the presented coins to detect what was real and fake, by visual inspection, weighing and using magnets. A first step in identifying if a coin is genuine is a close inspection with a magnifying glass for any irregularities in the coin surfaces or faces.
Metallic content in a coin will respond to a magnet applied to their surfaces, which will identify the coin as in-pure and a counterfeit or fake.

The conclusions from our “hands on” testing showed one the two gold kangaroo coins responded to magnets and while the other did not, its weight was lighter than one troy ounce as measured by scales. Of the two silver kangaroo coins only one responded to a magnet. The other one had no obvious flaws and weighted correctly so it was accepted as a genuine 1 troy ounce of silver.
 
Doug Smith
Convenor

Our group over the last few years has primarily concentrated on aspects of Australian coins, so for our September meeting we decided to explore something different: USA coinage.

While there are many similarities with Australian coins like names and denominations we looked at both and compared the differences.
​
The first major difference is the head and tail on Australian coins match up but the US coins have the head rotated 180 degrees to the tail.

US denominations are:1 cent (Penny); 5 cents (Nickel); 10 cents (Dime); 25 cents (Quarter; 50cents (Half Dollar); $1 (Dollar coin) closely match Australian coins except for the 25 cent piece.

US coins feature Presidents and buildings on the face of coins whereas Australia has royalty, native animals and cultural symbols.

Our members circulated their own US coins which included a ½ dollar, 1974 Eisenhower one dollar, 1909 Philippine’s Eagle Peso minted in the US and 2015 and 2023 silver dollars.

Of particular interest was the 2024 Trump coin with a very distinct effigy of the current President of the United States. (pictured).

​Coin Collectors will in the near future run a swap session as part of its meeting where U3A members are invited to join our meeting to swap, sell or buy coins on offer. Please contact me if you are interested.
​
Doug Smith (0417527171)

​You had to have good eyesight if you attended our August meeting as we discussed those hard to see marks on coins called Privy Marks, Mint Marks or Counterstamps.

​A mint mark is a small letter or symbol that identifies where the coin was made.  Not all coins have mint marks, but collectors often look for them. Mint marks are crucial for authenticity & historical context, allowing collectors & researchers to trace a coin's origin.
 
Australia has used mint marks on both circulating and non-circulating coins viz.:

• S – San Francisco Mint
• M – Melbourne Mint
• P – Perth Mint
• C – Canberra (Royal Australian Mint, sometimes indicated)

Notable examples - 
1943 Australian Penny–-has an "S" mint mark for coins struck at the San Francisco Mint.
2000 Millennium 50c coin – some varieties feature a "C" mint mark indicating Canberra.
2021 $1 Mintmark Coin Collection – includes coins with C, B, M, S mint marks (Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney) as part of a set.

A privy mark is a small symbol added to a coin to commemorate an event, celebrate an anniversary, or for collector interest. It does not indicate the mint.

Notable examples -
2016 $1 "Alphabet" Series – some coins feature tiny privy symbols next to the letters.
2013 Kangaroo Series (Perth Mint)-–features kangaroo coins with special privy marks like:

• Chinese Lunar symbols (e.g., snake)
• Show-related marks (e.g., ANDA privy mark for Australian Numismatic Dealer Association shows)

2000 Sydney Olympics $5 Coins – may include privy marks for Olympic events or symbols.

A Counter Stamp is an additional mark struck onto a coin after minting, often at events (e.g., coin shows).
​
Notable Examples:

• 2005 $1 Gallipoli coin—counter stamped with “S” for the Sydney ANDA Coin Show.
• 2010 $1 Coin — counter stamped for Melbourne ANDA show.
• 2016 Changeover $1—available with counterstamp “C” at the Royal Australian Mint.
• Various 50c and $1 coins at annual Royal Australian Mint pop-up events.

Special Mentions:

• "Mob of Roos" $1 (1984–present): Some collector versions (e.g., 2020 mint mark sets) have mint or counterstamps.
• Bullion coins (e.g., silver kangaroos, koalas, and kookaburras) from Perth Mint often include privy marks for overseas markets or anniversaries.

​The theme for our session on Monday, 28 July was Pre Decimal Silvers.

Joy began by showing her 3d & 6ds, which included

• 1916, 22, 41, 42, 43, 44, 51, 52, 57, 59, 60, 62 & 64 three pence.
• 1925, 51, 57, 59, 60, 62, & 63 sixpences.

Peter had two 1954 Royal Visit Florins. He also had a 6th addition Standard Coin Catalogue which was passed around.

Gary produced numerous coins & expanded on the various value of coins, with a number of higher mintage varieties valued at higher prices than ones of lower mintage, this leads to the thought that, although the numbers of these coins were much lower now than at their mintage date, causing a shortage. He also stated that coins such as the 1921 over date 1922 threepence in UNC (uncirculated) state were worth $9000.00, 1918 sixpence was valued at $30.00 & 1933 shillings of VF & EF grades valued at $175.00 to $ 500.00. During WW2, San Francisco minted a lot of our currency. The next coins Gary then passed around were our first Commemorative coin in the form of the 1927 “Canberra Florin” and the 1937 George VI Crown.

I then finished the “show & tell”, with coins such as the first Australian set of coins which included the 1910 Edward VII threepence, sixpence, shilling & florin coupled with the George V first penny & halfpenny minted in 1911, these sets were accompanied with the final George v 1936 set of six coins. The last three sets were the first George VI 1938, the last George VI of 1952 & finally the first Elizabeth II of 1953.

A number of facsimile coins of proposed patterns, including the 1936 Edward VIII Crown & a pair of aUNC (about uncirculated state) 1937 & 1938 crowns, went around.

The afternoon was rounded off with general discussion.
​
David Lowing                                                                                                         

Every baby boomer has kept one or many, and they are a very familiar sight. But most people born after 1970 (Gen X) have never seen one.

The Australian penny and halfpenny were discontinued when decimal currency was introduced in 1966. Pennies (P) and Halfpennies (HP) have very distinctive mint marks and this formed part of our discussion at our June meeting.

Our group has been using YouTube and Chat GPT to learn more about coin topics.

The more interesting points that came out of our session are summarized as:-

• Australian P and HP were fist minted in Australia in 1911. Prior to that mints in England and India produced the P/HP.
• Mint marks are different on pennies to halfpennies and also located in different location on the coins. It’s all about where those little dots appear on the reverse face of the coins and the distinctive mint marks like  ( I- India)
• The iconic Kangaroo is facing in different directions on the penny to the halfpenny.

Each member of our group brought along their P/s and HP/s and with the help of our resident member coin guru Greg, we them examined our collection for coins of value related to condition and scarcity.

Pennies of significance were (highest ranked) 1930, 1925, 1946, 1915, 1918, 1959

We also learnt that the “bible” on Australian coins, Renniks publication “Australian Coin and Banknote Values” is the esteemed authors surname spelled backwards, Dion Skinner.

One of our members, a retired builder, noted that old time builders often left coins in a new building foundation to signify the building date. It also reminded us of the past tradition of placing a coin in a new purse or wallet when given as a gift.

Keep noodling

​
Doug Smith

​It is always a challenge when I set the agenda for our monthly meetings to choose a Coin of the Month or occasionally, a monthly subject for discussion. I try to keep the subject matter, generally a particular coin type within the reach of the majority of our members to maximize their involvement.

Our May meeting topic was PNC’s (Postal Numismatic Covers) and a popular topic they were, with most members bringing along a number of their PNC's.

PNC’s contain an uncirculated unique minted coin generally issued by the Royal Australian Mint or Perth Mint and a first day issue stamp. PNC’s are issued through Australia Post Offices and are very collectable as they are relatively cheap ($20 to $30 range) and of limited mintage (generally under (20,000). They are available at Benalla Post Office.

Greg McDonald is a Coin Dealer and an Australian authority on PNC’s, having published many books on coins and since 1983, 29 editions of his book on PNC’s.  Our group is very fortunate to have Greg as a member of U3A Benalla and a regular attendee at our meetings, including of course, our May meeting.

What makes Greg’s book of PNC’s most interesting is not only the coin details but the history story behind the coin images which celebrate an important aspect of Australian history or person.

Greg, when asked what the most collectable and valuable of the PNC’s issued was, responded the 1969 Yarralumla (pictured).

​This was a limited edition, with only 1600 minted, which celebrated changes to the Currency Act including the new 50 cent 12-sided coin.

The PNC pictured above (issue no 124), is owned by one of our members, and was passed around our meeting.

Our chat session included how use eBay to value coins by comparing the asking price against the sold prices by accessing the advanced feature of the eBay site.

​
Keep noodling.
Doug Smith
Convenor

At our April meeting we decided to mix it up a bit and have a look at coins from “across the ditch” (relative sizes above).

Most of our members had a small collection of NZ coins that were shared around the table. We also talked in more detail about New Zealand coins and the Perth Mint.

New Zealand has a similar coin minting history to Australia moving decimal in 1967. To answer the question where are NZ coins minted does not give the obvious answer. NZ coins since 2006 have been minted by the Royal Canadian Mint when the Reserve Bank of New Zealand decided to outsource for cost efficiency.

NZ coins like Australia have interesting native fauna and historical images on their reverse side. Some examples included: 10 cents – Maori carved mask, $1 features 2 of NZ national symbols, kiwi and ponga/silver fern and $2 Kotuki/White heron.

While NZ went decimal in 1967, it has recently changed its coins sizes. Key differences to Australian coins:-

• NZ coins are generally smaller and lighter, especially the 20c and 50c coins.
• NZ $2 is larger than the $1, whereas it’s the opposite in Australia.
• Materials differ—New Zealand uses plated steel for smaller denominations; Australia uses cupronickel and aluminium-bronze.
• Australian 50c coins are distinctively large and dodecagonal (12-sided), unlike NZ’s round 50c.

Perth Mint: The question often arises as to whether coins produced by the Perth Mint are legal tender. Coins produced by the Perth Mint are considered legal tender in Australia. However, it's important to note that many of these coins are "non-circulating legal tender," meaning they are not intended for everyday transactions. Instead, they are primarily designed for collectors and investors.​

Under the Currency Act 1965, the Australian Government authorizes the Perth Mint to mint coins that are legal tender. These coins must bear the approved effigy of the monarch and are redeemable at their face value at the Reserve Bank of Australia or the relevant mint that produced the coin. However, banks are not legally obligated to redeem them. Perth Mint coins include:-

• Bullion Coins: These include gold, silver, and platinum coins like the Australian Gold Nugget (also known as the Kangaroo) and the Australian Platinum Koala. While they are legal tender, their market value is primarily determined by the precious metal content, which often exceeds their face value.​
• Collector Coins: These are produced in limited editions and often feature intricate designs. An example is the Jewelled Turtle coin, which has a face value of $2,500 but is priced at $269,000 due to its rarity and craftsmanship.

In summary while Perth Mint coins are legal tender, they are typically not used for everyday transactions. Their value is largely driven by factors such as metal content, rarity, and collector demand.

​
Keep noodling.
Doug Smith

​Well, you never know what will happen when you come to Coin Collectors.

Our group was set to have a chat session about ancient Chinese and Roman coins. However, at the last minute our coin gurus Greg and John, both extremely knowledgeable, had to pull out of attending for personal reasons.

The group was however presented with some research (believe it or not from AI Chat GPT) undertaken by Doug on a brief history of Chinese and Roman coins which can be summarized as follows: -

Chinese Coins

• Date back to Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) (BCE = New terminology ‘Before the Common Era’ – previously ‘BC’ - Before Christ)
• Early Chinese coins were round with a square hole in the middle
• The round shape symbolized the heavens, the square hole represented the earth. This design was rooted in Chinese cosmology.
• Coins often featured inscriptions, indicating the reign of the emperor, name of emperor and sometimes the weight of the coin.
• Ban Liang was a type of coin introduced by Emperor Quin Shi Huang, first emperor of China in 221 BCE.
• Kai Yuan Tong Bao was a famous coin introduced during the Tang Dynasty and widely used throughout China for centuries 618-907 CE (‘In the Common Era’ – previously ‘AD’)

Roman Coins

• Use of Roman coins began around 300 BCE during the Roman Republic though it was influenced by Greek coinage.
• Roman coins were initially a mix of bronze, silver and eventually gold.
• Aes was a term for Roman bronze or copper coins. Initially coins were made of bronze and later of copper alloys.
• Roman coins featured inscriptions on both coin faces. Obverse sides depicted the emperor’s portrait, name and titles. Reverse side depicted various gods, symbols of military victories or other significant events such as the emperor’s achievements.

Chinese and Roman coins were deeply tied to the culture and politics of their respective empires. While both empires used a variety of metals for their coins, China relied heavily on bronze in its early coinage whereas Rome was known for using silver and gold for greater value.

Roman coins were frequently used as propaganda tools to show power and legitimacy of the empire while Chinese coins were seen as symbols of stability and prosperity of the nation. Holes in Chinese coins also allowed them to be strung together.
​
In addition to ancient foreign coins several of our members brought along unique coins from their collections to share with the group including: -

• First issue PNC (Postal Numismatic Cover) number 124 of Centenary of Federation 50 cent proof coin.
• Norfolk Island Australian 3-coin proof set purchased in America and presented in a decorative case.
• American commemorative 2008 silver dollar coin depicting the seventh anniversary of 9/11
• Chinese mint note which was never placed into circulation depicting Chiang Kai-shekia (1st President of Republic of China) because he fled to Taiwan.

Keep noodling,


​Doug Smith

​Our first meeting for 2025 was held on 24th February with 11 members attending from an enrolment of 14.This is an increase on our 2024 membership.

A highlight of our meeting and of particular significance in the numismatic world was a well-known author and coin dealer joining our membership ranks. Greg McDonald has published 29 books on coins and banknotes.

The theme of the February meeting was for members to bring along their favourite coin and speak on why they chose this coin and how it was acquired.

The group was presented with a wide array of beautiful coins, some coloured, some in lovely presentation cases and many minted to celebrate significant events in history.These included: 

• Princess Diana 1999 UK 5 pound (called a Cartwheel)
• St George 1797 Penny
• Paul McCartney 2024 UK 5 Pound
• Bronze Roman coin 4 AD
• Edward 7 Coronation 1902 UK commemorative coin
• English Groat 1843 - equivalent 4 pence: nicknamed a Joey
• Royal Australian Mint 1966 proof set – first proof set of decimal currency
• Perth Mint – famous battles of Australian history 1966 set of 5 cased coins
• Cartwheels - 1797 copper UK 2 pence and one pence:

​​What followed was a Q&A session with Greg where we learnt  :-

• The 2 pence English Cartwheel coin unscrews to form two 1 pence pieces each weighing 1 oz. These coins are particularly unique. Eight of these placed end to end equals 1 foot.
• Peter Craft of Prospect Coins Blacktown NSW is a go to coin dealer for purchasing bulk coins.
• YouTube coin videos of interest include Purple Penny, Heritage Coins and Matt Thompson.

At our last meeting for 2024 we decided to get our “hands dirty”. Well not exactly, but we did get down to some “hands on stuff”, more precisely understanding how coins are graded and then doing some grading. Next to being authentic, correct grading is important when purchasing a coin. Coin grading rates the level of preservation of the coin, not just its eye appeal. It primarily relates to the amount of wear the coin has received during circulation.

Our members learnt there are two grading systems used - ANDA Grading System (Australasian Numismatic Dealers Association Grading System) and PCGS System (Professional Coin Grading Services USA).

ANDA grading is an adjectival standard used for grading Australian coins based on descriptive terminology. The PCGS system is more detailed and incremental in its scoring attributes.

Our “hands on” session saw each member issued with an ANDA grading sheet, two coins and asked to grade their coins. There was much musing as they looked at both sides of their coins using magnifier glasses and squinted eyes. They then exchanged their coins with the person beside them. A comparison of results showed a wide variation of gradings, emphasizing the difficulty of interpreting the grading chart in a consistent manner. The exercise provided a fun way of learning about coin grading.

After a cake and coffee break the group inspected a number of coins offered at our buy/sell/ swap session with some exchanges taking place.

Thank you to our Group members for their active contribution and participation throughout 2024. I have aimed the monthly meeting agenda at coin education, but tried to make it interesting and fun along the way. I know I have enjoyed it and hope I achieved those objectives.

You never know what will turn up at a Coin Collectors' meeting.

At our October meeting we had a new member attend and a U3A member/visitor.

Our theme for October was PNC’s (Postal Numismatic Cover). These are put out by Australia Post and available at Post Offices including Benalla. A PNC is a folder that contains a Royal Australian Mint coin and a first day issue stamp. They are a limited edition, generally around 7000 to 10,000 .The coins and stamp are unique and celebrate national events, famous Australians and milestones of Australian History and are very collectable.

Our members presented PLC’s celebrating 100 years of Scouting; Queen Elizabeth 2 anniversaries, including Platinum Jubilee 2022, 95th birthday in 2021 and 150 years Overland Telegraph Adelaide to Darwin 1872. One of our members had a large folder with numerous PNC with many lovely coins and stamps.

The group viewed a very interesting Youtube video on Bitcoin which explained this mystery cryto currency for beginners.

A surprise item was presented by our U3a guest Hanz in the form of a 6kg meteorite that fell to earth in China in 1566.

I also introduced the group to a brief onscreen demonstration of Chat GPT, a new form of AI. This can help with searching coin information.

Afternoon tea with lamingtons was enjoyed by all (thanks Gary).

​​Our September meeting was one of our best for interaction and hands on learning with much discussion regarding our topic of Australian banknotes.

What was also not well known that bank notes like coins, contain their date of printing. All notes contain individual serial numbers.The first two digits indicate the year the note was printed.  eg. DJ 185536761.indicates 2018. This feature was introduced in 1993.Plastic notes contain a number of dots along the long edge of the note and offset from the clear window to aid the visually impaired. One dot is to denote $5, two dots for $10 up to five dots for $100.

Also of interest was a note (Japanese occupation money) intended to be used following the anticipated invasion of Australia during WW2.

​Check your own notes to also discover these unique and fascinating security features.

Keep noodling!
​

Doug Smith

A keenly awaited session was held at our August meeting where one of our members presented an amazing array finely crafted and colourful medallions.

​Medallions can be loosely described as special minted coin like objects created to document a significant world or country event. They are not legal tender and there is no limited mintage. We saw medallions cast in silver and gold plated, commemorating milestones of British Royalty, Twin Towers 9/11 attack, 1993 Ashes Cricket tour, Beaconsfield Mine Disaster, Port Arthur massacre and Centenary of RAAF 1921 to 2021 to name a few.

​​Not only did we get to view and handle the medallions, but we were also given some interesting facts surrounding the medallions and their history.

While our group is called Coin Collectors with all things coins being our focus, I have expanded our area of interest to include tokens and medallions. A further new focus is the examination of legal tender bank notes. This was our first session with many of our members bringing along both Australian and overseas notes.

Australian bank notes were first printed in 1913-14. All legal tender note printing in Australia is undertaken by Note Printing Australia (NPA) based at Craigieburn on the northern outskirts of Melbourne. NPA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of Australia. Bank notes have many interesting features including anti counterfeit technology, notable history captured on notes of different eras. We will explore some of these features in future sessions.

Keep noodling...
​
Doug Smith

​At our July meeting we continued with our theme of coin tokens and medallions.
​
Members presented an array of tokens demonstrating their use in times past times and to some extent still in current use.

The most common was a car wash token (still in use in Benalla). Other coin tokens included trade tokens from Canada and tokens used on American Rail travel.

A classic icon is the Brass Razoo. Brass Razoo is an Australian phrase that was first recorded in soldiers' slang in World War I. It is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "a non-existent coin of trivial value". It is commonly used in the expression I haven't got a brass razoo, meaning the speaker is out of money. 

​On a similar note we also saw a few examples of a Bitcoin.

We were also treated to a large number of visually stunning coin tokens and medallions, celebrating major world events with a focus on the British Monarchy, from one of our avid collectors. The group felt very privileged to be able to view this extraordinary sample from our member’s vast collection.

Coin of the Month featured Royal Australian Mint Paris Olympic Team coloured coins with the King Charles 3 effigy in $1 and $2 denominations. These coins are available at Woolies and Benalla Post office if you are quick.

         7 July – 2024 $2 Coloured Uncirculated Coin - Community
         31 July – 2024 $2 Coloured Uncirculated Coin - Alleaus
         14 August – 2024 $2 Coloured Uncirculated Coin - Olympism
         28th August - 2024 $2 Coloured Uncirculated Coin - Australian Paralympic Team

We also discussed the fact that the use of cash in everyday activity is being rapidly phased out by the Australian Government. This will make coin collecting harder but on the other hand coins that are collectable more valuable.

At our next meeting we will finish off with the theme of medallions, and to add some further variety and interest, we will begin to explore the world of banknotes, a subject we have not previously embraced.

Keep noodling...


Doug Smith

Mysterious token* ... read on ...

​To freshen up our hunger for all things coin related, our June meeting saw the introduction of the broader subject of tokens, medallions and medals. Our group noted and discussed the definitions (below) that showed the similarities and differences to coins.

Coins Usually a piece of metal marked with a device, issued by a government authority, and intended to be used as money. They have an approved mintage, which means there is a limited quantity and display an effigy.

Medallions are similar to coins but they do not feature an effigy on the reverse and are not legal tender. Therefore, there is no limited mintage.

Medals are usually awarded to recognize achievements or honors, often in military, academic, or sports fields. Medallions, however, are larger decorative pieces, often used for ornamental purposes, such as in jewellery or architecture.

Tokens. Coins are universally accepted as legal tender. Acceptance of money tokens depends on custom or legal enactment. They may be accepted only within specific contexts. Top quality Australian tokens are extremely rare and historically, they have commanded similar, if not higher, prices to their rare coin counterparts.

Tokens played an important role in early Australian commerce. Australian businesses had a problem. Officially distributed sovereigns and half sovereigns were all very well, but what could the average person use to buy small items like bread? What could a business use to give them change? The answer was Tokens.

Tokens were issued by individuals and businesses to fill the void left by the extreme shortage of low denomination currency. Most were struck in copper and bronze, nominally as pennies and halfpennies, with a handful of threepences and one shilling piece.

The first tokens manufactured in Australia for general use were for the Tea Stores, owned by Samuel Peek of Samuel Peek & Co. and issued in 1852.

Perhaps the most famous Australian token is the Aborigine Threepence. Struck by Sydney Jewellers Hogarth and Erichsen, This very rare token was the only colonial piece to bear the design of an indigenous person.

After being made illegal in Victoria in 1863, tokens were also banned in New South Wales in 1868. Western Australia became the last state to declare tokens illegal in 1878.

Our members presented a number of tokens, including a 1972 Canadian 25p celebrating QE2 25th wedding anniversary, a 2022 UK 50p with a Charles 3rd effigy, a US $1 gambling chip from a Las Vegas casino.

One member distributed several pages of noted tokens from Rennicks publication of 2002 covering 35 pages of Australian industry tokens, showing how common they were in the 19th century.

Familiar everyday tokens also include Aldi tokens used for shopping trolleys and automatic car wash tokens.

Another member presented a ‘mysterious” token/medal medallion that provoked considerable discussion as to its purpose and origin. (see photos above).  The object appears to have been professionally manufactured and has a kangaroo symbol on one face and an jet fighter aircraft on the other face with the inscription www.airforce.gov.au. If you can help solve this mystery please contact me.

While our focus for our June meeting was tokens, following meetings will explore medallions and medals.

Keep noodling!

​Doug Smith

Six members attended our May meeting, with five apologies.  At the meeting -

• Pat showed us her AFL Essendon Club $1 Coin

• Gary passed around a large number of coins, including 2006 proof set, 2000 Olympic $5 coins, 1994 NZ Commonwealth Games $1, 1980nQueen’s Mother 80th Birthday Crown, 1921 US $1, several UK coins he dug up, 1882 ½ Crown & 1873 1/- he explained that miners hid their coins by vertically burying them in a plot, as well as an UK 1791 ¼ & lastly a 1988 Bicentennial $10, the first of the coloured polymer notes.  He then produced several Max Stern of Melbourne paper advertisements, with 1950/60s prices of coins & commented on how much the prices had increased.

• David then explained what he considered the cheapest way to store your coin collection.  He handed out a number of plastic storage boxes, each with 28 coin holders in which a 2x2 flap would fit. Each holder would hold a years’ worth of each of the denominations, thus segregating each year’s coins.  He then passed around a number of recently obtained coins, namely a 2018 Animals in War Medallion, 6 PNCs, a 2024 Year of the Dragon 50c.

David Lowing
​'Acting Convenor'

Our regular segment COTH (Coin Of The Month) for April was titled – “A foreign coin based on its attractiveness, mintage and condition”.Coin collector members rose to the occasion with this challenge presenting a variety of interesting, mostly foreign coins from:-

• Cooke Islands – triangular shaped $1 and 12 sided $5
• Cooke Islands use NZ currency but also mint their own coins/notes
• Thailand – very attractive 5 baht
• Swedish 1989 proof coin set
• Turkey/Egypt coin sets
• Russian 2014 euro – commemorating 20 year fall of USSR
• Euros are the currency of the European Common Market countries but many mint their own euros
• Mexican centavos and USA 1885 Silver Dollar
• Palestine 1927 2 Mils. The coin obverse (face) features the word Palestine in 3 languages Hebrew, English and Arabic. It was issued during British Mandate 1920 to 1948. The historical Mandate was created by British Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour after WW1 to resettle the Jewish population to the then State of Palestine.

The Group then viewed the RAM (Royal Australian Mint) website to view the difference between a circulated and uncirculated coin. Circulated coins are generally issued by RAM to banks. Uncirculated coins are circulated differently. These coins are the basis of many coin collections. They usually highlight significant Australian people, places and events.Uncirculated coins are made from the same materials as circulated coins but are struck at a slower rate with greater force. This produces a sharper image with clearly defined edges. They are also slightly more polished than circulating coins and are typically packaged in presentation cards.

A coin trivia session followed based on members knowledge of Australian currency pre/post decimal.

​Lastly the Group viewed a number of short YouTube videos from the Coin Collecting and Detecting channel on coin errors and rare coins to collect.

My thanks to David Lowing who ran the March Coin Collectors session during my absence. David’s summary report follows.

Happy noodling!

Doug Smith

Nine attended our March session, with apologies from four.

During the session,

• Frank showed some of his $2 & 50c coins.
• Shirley showed us her 2003 Australian Volunteers 20c coin.
• Peter brought along some of his collection in folders. He also Coin Scoped some of Dianne’s obscure coins.
• Dianne brought along her uncirculated 1945 National Chinese bank notes, they are in pristine condition, in the denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 100 & 1000 Yuan.
• This was then followed by a Noodling session. David supplied noodling sheets, pre decimal & decimal. The members brought along their own coins & noodled away. Rupe supplied a number of 50c coins, so he & Frank spent time sorting them out, by and large it appears that everyone learnt something & enjoyed themselves.

​
David Lowing,
'Acting Convenor'