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 Replies: 21 / Views: 1,999 |
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New Member
United States
45 Posts |
I have a little story I'd like to share with all of you here in the forums, I think our Australian members might get a kick out of it as well. About 11 or 12 years ago I received some change that I didn't check and just stuck in my pocket. Later that night I found mixed in with it was a 1977 Australian 20 cent coin. If you haven't seen one it has Queen Elisabeth II on the front and a swimming Platypus on the reverse, it's one of the coolest coins that I've ever seen, let alone to find mixed in with pocket change. After looking the coin over and feeling very lucky to found it, I decided to put it in my wallet for "good luck". (A side note, at the time I wasn't collecting. I know better now). That's were it stayed for about a year, until one day I realized it was gone. I looked everywhere but it had disappeared [:0]. I was "totally bummed" Through the years I kept looking for it and wishing that I had taking better care of it. Ok now flash to the present time. Last Thursday at work I was talking to one of my coworkers when she opened her desk drawer to found some paperwork and I saw piles of Lincoln pennies. Three piles about 30 to 40 coins each. That's a little strange in it self but hey whatever. I asked if I could look through them and she said, "Help yourself", so I did. I was half way through the second pile then I found it. Can you guess? Mixed in with all the pennies was a 1977 Australian 20 cent coin with the Queen on the obverse and a Platypus on the reverse. I was so surprised that I let out a "WooHoo" and I almost dropped the coin. I explained to her that I had one before and I had lost it years ago, then went to put it back into the drawer and you know what she said? "You can have it". With a "cool, cool" and another "WooHoo" the coin went in my pocket. Wow was I lucky or what? Now I know it's probably not the rarest of coins or the most expensive, but I still think it's one of the coolest. I mean a Platypus, how many coins have a Platypus [:p]. So the other day I start thinking. What are the odds of finding the exact same Australian coin in California? Then I started thinking (this one's a stretch) what if this is the same coin that I had lost and after all these years finally got back? Either way I'm glad I have it, and no it's not in my wallet this time but in the safe at home. I'm not going through that again. Strange I know but true  . Edited by empfan1
06/04/2006 7:44 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2365 Posts |
I think that's a wonderful story..fate! Thanks so much for sharing!
Also, welcome to the CCF!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
560 Posts |
I love the design on that coin; it's one of my favorites. The Platypus is just too cool and the way the artist showed the fluidity of the water is amazing.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
I had one of those what are the odds experiences not that long ago. I was in one of those all night laundrys at about 1 or 2:00 in the morning and found an elongnated cent of ScobbyDoo/Universal Studios. Now what are the odds that anyone would find something like that laying on the floor, let alone coin/token collector?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
great story thank you for sharing it
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Pillar of the Community
United States
986 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2271 Posts |
Stuart Devlin designed this coin and dozens of others of the finest coins in the modern era. The early versions of this issue are scarce in uncirculated condition. Demand was non-existent until the early '90's but now there are a few collectors for these. Some of his other designs are far scarcer and can be had for almost nothing.
Time don't fly, it bounds and leaps.
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Rest in Peace
United States
3730 Posts |
Good story.
I can't really come close except to say that I had, then lost a 1942 dime. AU. Years later I found another. Also AU. 1942 is my birth year, so it was special to me.
Not too many 1942 coins floating around anymore. Must be getting older.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9410 Posts |
They say coins are made round, to go 'round. This coin certainly came back 'round to you. Good story. If you ever lose it again, let me know. I'm sure I could find some more in the till at work. LOL Steve  |
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Valued Member
United States
157 Posts |
Hello empfan1:
Where you working at this same place at the time you lost the coin? If so, then it would have to be a remarkable coincidence for the coin NOT to be the one you lost.
Perhaps when you opened your wallet for some reason, the coin fell to the floor, to be found later by a co-worker and stored somewhere.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1091 Posts |
Well, you first kept it for "Good Luck" and it has returned to you. That IS lucky.
Some information about that luck coin.
1977 20cent Australian
Obverse design of Queen Elizabeth the 2nd by Arnold Machin
Reverse design of Platypus by Stuart Devlin
Minted in Camberra, Australia
Compostion 75% copper, 25% nickel
Weight 11.31 grams
Size 28.52mm
Mintage 41,272,000
This design started in 1966 when Australian currency changed and went to decimal. The Young Queens portrait goes from 1966 to 1984. Then an older portrait was used between 1985 and 1998, and older again since 1998. While the Platypus design has remained the same to the current year.
Space Invaders affects Australian coinage.
The demand for this 20c coin went through the roof in 1980, 81 and 82 with the introduction of the "space invaders" arcade games that were new and very popular at the time, creating a huge demand for the 20c piece. (Production soared to over 265 million in 1981.) Yes, it was 20c a game here, not a quarter. Anyway, after the games stopped being popular, there was no demand for new 20c pieces and only 2,700,000 pieces were made in 1985, and then only made in mint sets in 1986, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, and 93 (the guides are in error for 93 saying there was 1,498,500 made, should be corrected in the next edition.)
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9410 Posts |
Edited by triggersmob
06/05/2006 03:19 am
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1529 Posts |
The good old platypus...... Here is additional information to what Toast has provided. 1981 was the crazy year in which a humungus mintage was strucked,in round figures, 165,503,000 by the Canberra Mint, 50,000,000 by the Wales Mint and an additional 50,000,000 by the Canadian Mint thereby creating a collectors delight/nightmare with the different varieties etc....eg a BU three and half toed platy by the Canadian Mint will cost in the vicinity of $150.00 Mintages in the 3 succeeding years was also huge, 76,504,000 in 1982;55,113,000 in 1983 and 27,820,000 in 1984. Ironically, the ones of 1983 and 1984 are coveted by collectors as a result of a meltdown of almost the entire population by the Mint. For over three years now, I have been chasing a roll of either the 83 or the 84 Twenty Cents without any success. Both have a BV of $300.00 but I am willing to pay more (so will many others) to get my hands on a roll. No circulating 20 cents platypus were minted in the years from 1986 to 1992. The only platys that were strucked in those years were for the Mint sets. The lowest mintage of circulating platys were in 1993 where only 1,498,500 were strucked. Rolls of this year has a BV of $100.00. |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1529 Posts |
Oophs.....overlooked your query triggersmob...sorry. 240,000 platys were strucked for inclusion in the 1988 Mint sets and a further 10,000 was strucked for the Coin Fair Mint sets. Retail of the sets that I have seen going off ebay are in the vicinity of $25.00 to $30.00. |
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Valued Member
United States
187 Posts |
What a neat story. And you do tell it very well!!!
Jerry
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Pillar of the Community
United States
604 Posts |
I like Auusie coins I have a 20 cent from 1964 I think I have to check But its a beauty I tell ya that  |
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Replies: 21 / Views: 1,999 |
Posted 06/04/2006 3:16 pm
