Crown (Australian coin)

The Australian Crown was a coin used in the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalisation in 1966. The denomination was only minted in 1937 and 1938. It was of similar size and weight to the British Crown and was made of sterling silver for both its years of production. Like the British Crown, the Australian Crown was worth five shillings.

Crown
Australia
ValueFive shillings
Mass28.28 g
Diameter38.5 mm
EdgeMilled
Composition92.5% silver, 7.5% copper
Years of minting1937-1938
Obverse
DesignHead of George VI
DesignerThomas H. Paget
Reverse
DesignerGeorge Kruger Gray

The Crown was originally intended to commemorate the ascension of King Edward VIII; however, due to his abdication, it was instead struck to commemorate the ascension of King George VI. The Crown quickly lost its commemorative appeal and its lack of popularity led to its production being terminated. 1,008,000 Australian Crowns were minted in 1937 and 101,600 were minted in 1938, making the 1938 much more valuable today.

In very fine condition, a 1937 crown is worth about $35,[1] whereas the 1938 crown in very fine condition would be worth about $135.[2]

References
  1. 1937 Crown Archived 2012-05-24 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1938 Crown Archived 2012-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
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