Coin Community Family of Web Sites
Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer Shop for APMEX Bullion on eBay!Shop CCF Members on eBay! Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Specializing in Modern Numismatics 300,000 items to help build your collection! Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

1998 Australian 5 Cent RDm Letter Is Peculiar

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 11 / Views: 790Next Topic  
Pillar of the Community
Allcoinage's Avatar
Australia
1510 Posts
 Posted 09/02/2025  07:40 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Allcoinage to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I was testing my new digital microscope and found this on 1998 Australian 5 cent coin.


1998-Australian-5-Cent-RDm-Letter-Is-Peculiar
Moderator
Learn More...
jbuck's Avatar
United States
187582 Posts
 Posted 09/02/2025  10:08 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
In the future, please do not post photos of your scope screen. Use the memory card or a USB cable to transfer images.
Pillar of the Community
Allcoinage's Avatar
Australia
1510 Posts
 Posted 09/03/2025  07:47 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Allcoinage to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Can't my phone does not take sd cards only S21 can mine is S25 ultra 1 terra bytes.but thank you I try different approach.
Moderator
Learn More...
jbuck's Avatar
United States
187582 Posts
 Posted 09/03/2025  08:34 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I take it you do not have access to a desktop or laptop computer?

Does the scope have a USB port? You will be surprised what you can hook to your phone via USB, with the correct cable. Maybe contact the scope manufacturer to see if they have an Android app you can use with it. If they do not, then suggest to them that they should!
Valued Member
SallyG's Avatar
Australia
382 Posts
 Posted 09/03/2025  6:34 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add SallyG to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I think "RDM" is for Raphael Maklouf who designed the effigy on the 5c coins from 85 to 98. I couldn't get a clear enough photo to enlarge to check though.
Pillar of the Community
Allcoinage's Avatar
Australia
1510 Posts
 Posted 09/05/2025  04:03 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Allcoinage to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Ok I try your way @jbuck it has a usb port.
Oh by the way I was referring to the letter M the colour is not its usual white and if its verdigris then why hasn't it taken to other two letters?
Edited by Allcoinage
09/05/2025 04:07 am
Pillar of the Community
Allcoinage's Avatar
Australia
1510 Posts
 Posted 09/06/2025  07:55 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Allcoinage to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
After spending a little I finally transferred the images.

Both images are of the 1998 Australian 5 cent but separate coins.

1998-Australian-5-Cent-RDm-Letter-Is-Peculiar



1998-Australian-5-Cent-RDm-Letter-Is-Peculiar
Edited by Allcoinage
09/06/2025 07:58 am
Moderator
Learn More...
jbuck's Avatar
United States
187582 Posts
 Posted 09/07/2025  1:54 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
After spending a little I finally transferred the images.
Moderator
Learn More...
Sap's Avatar
Australia
16806 Posts
 Posted 09/07/2025  7:07 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
If you're referring to the "RDM", those are the designer's initials, as SallyG noted. You'll find those initials in that location on all the portraits of that design - on all denominations of Australian coins, and on the coins of every other country that used that portrait.

To the naked eye, the initials do somewhat resemble the word "POM", leading to an urban myth that some rabid anti-monarchist at the Mint put that there. But as can be clearly seen in your scope shots, the letters are indeed "RDM".
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
Bedrock of the Community
Learn More...
HondoB's Avatar
United States
24906 Posts
 Posted 09/07/2025  7:28 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I was referring to the letter M the colour is not its usual white and if its verdigris then why hasn't it taken to other two letters?

Perhaps its paint or gold foil or plating that has rubbed off of RD. A picture of the entire coin would help.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
Edited by HondoB
09/07/2025 7:35 pm
Moderator
Learn More...
Sap's Avatar
Australia
16806 Posts
 Posted 09/07/2025  8:45 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
Oh by the way I was referring to the letter M the colour is not its usual white and if its verdigris then why hasn't it taken to other two letters?

Sorry, only just noticed that.

This lettering is incuse, not relief, as I understand it. Which means that any kind of gunk or goo the coin is exposed to is likely to get stuck down there, and once something's in there, it's not coming out again easily. "Why just the M and not the other letters?" Well, you can see in your pic that is is indeed inside the other letters to a small extent. I'd suspect some kind of liquid (juice, coffee or some such) that spilled a bit there, most of it landed in the M but some in the other two letters too.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
Pillar of the Community
Allcoinage's Avatar
Australia
1510 Posts
 Posted 09/08/2025  03:38 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Allcoinage to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I think I found the culprit was the dye or oil that's in there I seen on another coin .thank you all
  Previous TopicReplies: 11 / Views: 790Next Topic  

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.36 seconds to rattle this change. Forums