robster I have just looked through 240 Ozzie pennies and found 13 with the same groove which is a far lower incidence than the halfpennies. (too small a sample to draw firm conclusions)
These examples are 1948, 51 x 2, 52 x 3 from the Melbourne Mint, then 1945, 50, 55 and 64 x 2 from the
Perth Mint.
It is highly possible from the look of the 1964 examples that they are the result of a different set of factors and are possibly a red herring.
This seems to indicate that the great majority of these incidences are between 1947 and 1955, don't come from London and reasonably evenly originate from Melbourne and Perth.
My thoughts are that it seems a relatively common outcome of the process of striking copper coinage and the only mystery is why there has been no discussion about it. Or if there has why no person here has seen or heard of it.
I only have 80 British and 60 NZ pennies and about the same halfpennies but found no examples so it appears to be an idiosynchrasy of the Australian Minting Process, machinery or planchets.
Hopefully we will learn the facts from someone who knows.