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 Replies: 13 / Views: 3,177 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
17926 Posts |
Do pre-decimal sixpences, shillings or florins ever turn up in circulation in Australia these days? Would you be likely to find any if you got bags of coins from the bank to sort through?
When I first visited NZ in 1974 I remember getting a 1934 silver George V shilling in change, which I kept. On my more recent visits in 1999 and 2000 I definitely got a few shillings and florins, but they were all cupro-nickel ones minted since 1947. I realise that the Aussies, unlike the Kiwis, kept making silver coins right up to the 1960s.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
762 Posts |
I remember in the 1970s that they used to turn up in change fairly regularly. It was what started my interest in coin collecting.
A couple of years ago I was given two florins in my change at Bunnings but the fact that there was two of them together suggests that it was part of a collection that had found its way back into the pond. I would doubt that there are any predecimals left that have been circulating since 1966.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I haven't seen a single pre decimal silver coin in circulation in Australia since the late 1960's. All of the 1966 80% silver 50 cents had also dissapeared from circulation by 1970. I was in the U.K. for all of 1970-1971. I DID see a couple of silver two bobs in circulation in those years. I STILL find and re circulate both British and N.Z. copper nickel pre decimal coins when I find them, just for fun!  Got rid of about ten G.B. and N.Z. two bobs back into circulation, just a couple of weeks ago! Edited by sel_69l
02/14/2015 10:28 pm
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Moderator
 Australia
16826 Posts |
Back when I was in school in the mid-1980s, I once received a sixpence in change from the school tuckshop. It's the only silver coin I've ever found "in the wild". Quote:
A couple of years ago I was given two florins in my change at Bunnings but the fact that there was two of them together suggests that it was part of a collection that had found its way back into the pond. I would doubt that there are any predecimals left that have been circulating since 1966. I suspect this has been true since the early 1970s; though the same size as their decimal analogues, any silver coins are sufficiently unlike in design and colour that they stand out like a sore thumb, and someone will quickly pull them out of circulation again. Assuming the banking system doesn't find them and withdraw them first. So any found in circulation since then are from a hoard or collection that someone has spent. 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
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Valued Member
Australia
301 Posts |
Well I actually got one just the other day in a bag of coins from the bank, I get coins each week just cause I like to . It was a sixpence and it had a very small hole in it obviously was used on a chain at some stage.
It is in pretty good shape other than that not a bad coin at all, Pretty common year 1952 I think it is from memory and not worth anything but was a surprize.
I do get a few NZ coins and have had NZ sixpences of late. Plenty of NZ decimal nearly every bag will have one. Mainly ten cent coins.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
552 Posts |
I found a 1954 COA Florin whilst going through some 20c coins
This would have been around 2009-2010
This was the only pre-decimal Australian silver coin I have found
Edited by mrcruise
02/15/2015 01:30 am
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Bedrock of the Community
 United Kingdom
17926 Posts |
Thanks guys - very interesting!
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New Member
Australia
15 Posts |
I found a 1991 silver 5 cent coin in my change a few months ago (Masterpeices in silver set) strange how it got in there, someone must of broke the set up without any knowledge, but still very strange.
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Quote:
Plenty of NZ decimal nearly every bag will have one. Mainly ten cent coins. NZ 10 Cents can be found frequently as change. Only silver coins I ever got in change in Australia were a couple of NZ Sixpences and a Canadian 10 Cent piece. As per other non-silver foreign coins, there are a few which turn up from time to time. |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1874 Posts |
I also have found a coin from the Masterpeices in silver set, although mine was the 50c from 1988.
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Valued Member
Australia
216 Posts |
The last silver I got in change was a 1966 50c. These do sometimes turn up.
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New Member
17 Posts |
Back in the late 80's my parents owned a shop in country Tasmania and they used to find quite a few pre-decimal silver coins and 1966 50's, thats how I got into collecting coins. But I havent seen any in change for a s long as I can remember, but Worlds coins do pop up now and then and the odd later NZ shilling.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
599 Posts |
I put pre-decimal silver back in circulation sometimes.
Hopefully someone will find them and spark an interest.
However to answer your question:
Pre-decimal silver could still be found in general circulation up till about 1977ish.
Watch your top knot
Edited by echidna
02/18/2015 04:21 am
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
908 Posts |
Around 1969-1971 I lived with my grandparents who ran a pub in northern NSW and every afternoon when they did the change my grandfather was always pulling predecimal silver out of the till and keeping it. Needless to say when my grandfather passed on he left the coins to me which got me started collecting.It
ended up being about 6kg of silver so it was a good head start
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Replies: 13 / Views: 3,177 |
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Posted 02/14/2015 10:23 pm
