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 Replies: 10 / Views: 9,168 |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
Did anyone realize that the 2004 20 cents is rather unusual? I had this feeling when I first received it in change but couldn't describe it.
I just looked at it again today by chance and finally found out what was bothering me, that is, the text is not as close to the edge as any other coins in history and later (that I have seen so far)
Did anyone realize this and is there a story to this?
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9467 Posts |
Can't say that I've noticed, but I'll have to go and check now. Steve  |
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Pillar of the Community
 Australia
3831 Posts |
Oh come on, no one noticed?!  versus:   etc. You can even check your 1999+ coins to confirm that 2004 is rather unusual! Strangely I realized that I don't have a 2003 20 cents coin. My partial coin collection http://www.omnicoin.com/collection/gxseriesMy numismatics articles and collection: http://www.gxseries.com/numis/numis_index.htmRegularly updated at least once a month. |
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Formerly nancyc
Australia
5385 Posts |
gxseries, This different obverse on the 2004 20¢ is called 'small head' as it is quite noticeably smaller than the head on most other 20¢ since 1999. There are some 04 20¢ with a large head, but they are few & far between, an estimated 400,000 went into circulation. Another way to tell the difference is with the 'A' in the legend. On common 2004 20¢ it has a flat head & on most other years it has a pointed head, as well as on the 'large head' 2004. I'm pretty sure triggersmob would be aware of this, but it has just not occurred to him or temporarily slipped his mind. The same situation exists for the 2004 50¢ as well, but the 'large head' only went into mint sets, proof sets etc. I have a couple 'large head' 20¢, but no 50¢. If you'd like a well circulated 2003 20¢ (Australia's Volunteers) PM me your address & I'll send you one. |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9467 Posts |
Thanks, Nancyc. Yes, it came flashing back to be while I was at work Yesterday. Steve |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
No, I didn't really take a good look at the head, but what I was talking about is the text, "Elizabeth II, Australia 2004"
They have never been so far off from the edge, i.e closer to the Queen's head!
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Formerly nancyc
Australia
5385 Posts |
gxseries, The text being further from the edge is part & parcel of the 'small head' design used. I don't know why the 2004 had the smaller obverse design & a different font, but it only happened for that year & reverted back to normal in 2005.
Just a stange occurrence by the Royal Aust Mint. If it's ever been explained, someone will be sure to let us know.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
3831 Posts |
Ah I see.
Probably the die reduction machine reduced it too small? Most certainly it's unusual. I saved up most of UNC of 2004 20 cents that I find.
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Valued Member
Australia
335 Posts |
This shouldn't be a big surprise to many collectors of Australian coins but 2004 is not the only year to have seen modifications to the obverse or even reverse of coins since the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of QE2 appeared on circulating coins in 1999.
Here is a list of modified obverses/reverses since 1999.
1999 10c - small and large obverses
1999 $1 Older Persons - small, medium and large obverses
1999 $1 Last ANZACS "C" - small, medium and large obv reported.
1999 $2 - small and large obverses
2000 all demoninations - change in the font on obverse, S most noticable.
2000 $1 - small and large obverses reported
2001 all denominations - change in the font and position of E in ELIZABETH under neck on the obverse
2001 all denominations (but not all comm. 20c, 50c or $1) - small and large obverses most noticable by distance of text from rim and spacing of letters IRB under neck (spaced, joined)
2001 20c Platypus - old and new designed reverse most noticable by size of designers initials SD (old small SD, new large SD)
2001 20c proof Platypus - small, medium and large obverses
2003 5c - appears to be change in obverse (IRB initials)
2003 $1 Suffrage - small and large reverses noticable by width of gap betwwen dress and rim at bottom of coin and spacing of text around reverse
2004 20c - small and large obverses with change in font (small has flat top A and large has pointed top A)
2004 50c - small and large obverses with change in font (small has flat top A and large has pointed top A) and also change in style of the IRB on obverse from that in 2003
2005 20c & 50c - change in the font style from that of both 2004 styles (longer and finer letters, more eliptical 00 in date)
2006 20c and 50c - change in fonts on obverse from that of 2005 (thicker letters and even more eliptical 00 in date
2006 50c many designs - some obverse change noticable by two slightly different appearances of the IRB
Many of the changes can be seen as (1) text is close to rim (large head or large obverse) or text is further from rim (small head or small obverse), (2) position of font has changed in relation to E under Queen's neck or spacing between letters of text, (3) font style of text around obverse has changed, (4) font style of designers initials IRB under neck has changed. Many of the modifications have more than one of the above features changed at the same time.
As in 2004, the issues of 2001 saw some demoninations with both types circulating together while others can be found predominately in mint and/or proof sets and some of the later released commemorative 20c, 50c and $1 coins having only the modified smaller obverse with the IRB joined.
The coin that has seen the most changes has been the 20 cents.
Wayne
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Valued Member
Australia
335 Posts |
One other thing about the images used above, the reverse do not all match the dated obverses. The designer's initials SD can be easily seen to the left of the Platypus in the water swirl. For the 2004 pair the initials SD are large which is correct as the reversed was modified in 2001. However the remaining two reverses featured for 2003 (incorrect pair as this year only had the Australia's Volunteers reverse) and 2005 show a small SD. The small SD is found on the reverse of coins dated 2000 or before, some 2001 circ, mint and proof 20c, all 2002 Proof 20c and the 2004 and 2006 Proof & Silver Proof 20 cents (some with small and some with large).  Images are from proof coins. The 20c Platypus reverse has seen a number or recuts or redesigns of the master or working dies between 1966 and 2001. These are most evident by the style, size or position of the SD. Other changes have been in the claws under the 2 of 20 as seen with coins minted in 1981 at Winnipeg, Canada, the size of the nostrils (small nostrils for 1981 coins minted at Llantrisant, Wales) and the gap or no gap between the water swirl and body just above the right eye as seen in the 1966 coins minted at Canberra and London especially. If anyone is particularly interested in this, I can start a separate topic and show you some of the changes with images. Wayne |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
9467 Posts |
Brissyboy, thanks for the info. Very interesting. I might have to check some of my coins a little closer. Steve |
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Replies: 10 / Views: 9,168 |
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Posted 03/27/2007 11:47 am
