Australian And New Zealand Coins, How Far Back Can We Go - First Edition

Princetane the 2007 20c is a very nice concept coin.

BTW the 2007 $1 MoR's is a Mint Set only coin.

Also this, a Canberra Mint pack with a 2007 Sydney Harbour Bridge special $1 coin, being the 75th anniversary.

Sadly the picture came out really badly, it was taken in 2017!




Wonderful shot of the Queens effigy though

OK 2007.
Let's see what I can find.

I'll start with the Kiwi 10c.


Then from Aus,

The standard 10c


These next few are coins that are still in there packing, so the images aren't so good.

Royal 60th Anniversary 50 Cents.


The Ashes $1 (no underarm bowling allowed).


Sydney Harbour Bridge $1 ( C mint mark)


Year of the Pig $1


Steve :)

2006 was a big year in both countries.

On July 31st 2006 the withdrawal of the old 5c, 10c, 20c and 50c coins began, after their value had reduced considerably (Buying power, a 50c coin in 1967 was still worth 50c in 2006 but its buying power was close to 3c in 1967).


A 2006 Small/Smaller change set announcing the changeover, these are scarce now.

Also the coins were made out of copper nickel which was now too expensive and there were complaints about the size of these now worthless coins. the Reserve bank listened and the new coins featured stainless steel construction. The 5 cent was demonitised and the 10c became a copper like coin. The 20 cents was shrunk and given a "Spanish flower" style edge (It looked like a 1990s Spanish 25 Peseta coin). The 50 cent was given a smooth edge and reduced in size to being just above the size of an old 10 cent piece.

The $1 and $2 were unaffected and hence why these coins back to 1990 are still legal tender.



This shows the set of 3 coins in circulation.

Jumbo numbers of each denomination came out and by November 1st were in full use, the old coins became illegal and were cashable only in banks until 2008, after that you need to send old coins to the Reserve bank for validation.

Of course there was a rush to get them on Trade Me and sell them at marked up prices. 2007 and 2008 saw a rash of morons selling old 5 cent coins as "Lucky coins" and up to $5k!

The $1 and $2 had no circulation coins issued in 2006. 2006 annual sets had the old coins in them. 2007 sets would have the new reduced coins in them.

2006 dated coins are still common now in change and the 10 cents are nearly all brown, but shiny 20c and 50c are still common given their huge mintages (10c - 140 mil, 20c - 80 mi, 50c - 70 mil).

More history tomorrow.

Nice selection, Princetane!

I don't have the 2006 Australian BU set but I do have the Proof set with the silver 50c:


I love the cameo effect on these coins!

I love it, I cover the cheap end and you the expensive end!

Jealousy aside, those coins are really beautiful, the cameoing is nice! Once I get a bit more wealthy I will start buying those proof sets like I do BU ones now. Interesting the standard 50 cent was not proofed though.

I do love how you can fill those gaps and everyone can see what is going on with all that was issued in these modern years.

Tomorrow I hope to upload some much better pictures!

Exactly and I am very appreciative you are showing the all the stuff I usually don't have.

I definitely was not being rude or jealous, but thankful as believe me I just don't have the money or all the time to buy all Australia has to offer. But I love the coins and the commems are nice.

Now 2005 - what a year. This was the last year of the large coins for the cents denominations. This is the first year I am showing coins now termed obselete.

From 2005 back to 1988, we have the 4 cupro nickel coins, the 5c, 10c, 20c and 50c. The first 3 are the same size as modern Australian coins and are often found in Australian change. Given both dollars are close to the same (NZ dollar is around 95 cents Australian) this makes sense.
The 50 cents is similar in size to the Aussie one, but its round and actually weighs 2 grams less (13.5grams to 15.55grams). MY NZ modern coins thread explains how this came abot back in 1967, when they were planning decimal currency.

The $1 and $2 coins of this era are still legal tender, so you get the mix - legal tender and demonitised coins in one image!




Obverses of 2005 coins, notice the 20c and 50c are larger than the $1 and $2! Hence why they needed to go!

Although large numbers of the silver (5c - 50c) had been issued in the millienium years (2000 - 04), 2005 was a sparse year with no 5 cent coins issued outside the sets, and the 10 cents, 2 million were struck and only 28k issued (They are super rare and I just do not have one - some were in the smaller change sets of 2006).




The 20 cents had 4 million struck, but only 500k issued and the 50 cents 2 million struck, only 178k released - the rest of all the coins were melted down. Both 20c and 50c coins from this year rate as scarce to almost rare and cost around $15 - $50 each on Trade Me.

I am incredibly lucky, I was working in a $2 shop as manager in 2005/07 and got to count all the takings at the end of each shift and just before these old coins were made illegal, every one of our customers (Mainly lower and beneficiary class) bought in all their old coins and I was really lucky to get 2 examples of each coin and here they are. I have held on to these since 2006!



Also issued were $1 and $2 coins in 2005 and unlike the above, not rare at all, although at 2 million the dollar mintage is quite low. At 5 million the $2 coin is the most common one of 2005.

Next year is 2004 and we see apart from 5 cents, the coins become more common in that year.