Arrows indicate the high points of this Australian coin design used between 1910 and 1936.
Includes florin, Shilling and sixpence.
The first signs of wear are seen on the monarch’s crown band
because it is the highest part of the design.
The centre piece of the design known as the centre diamond is the first point
you should look to in determining wear. The amount of wear extends from the
centre diamond to the 2 sets of pearls located either side of the centre
diamond. Next you should look at the end of the moustache and the top of the
ear.
A weak strike shows in the rim
denticles and crown pattern as well as a weakness in the
collar just under the chin. The orb on the crown also flattens out as the die
wears.
Arrows indicate the high points of this Australian coin design used between 1910 and 1936.
Includes florin, Shilling and sixpence.
The high points are the centre of the
star, the Kangaroo's shoulder, the Emu's back and the top part of the shield
design
Whilst the above
seems very simple and straight forward there are a few other things to take into
account when considering wear.
Because we don't have hard, flat fingers, the wear on a coin will not be
confined to the high points but will cover all features of the design to varying
degrees, also the high points will not wear flat, they will wear by rounding
down. So, as well as looking at the high points you also need to look at the
coin overall.
A weak strike will show in the grass between the Kangaroo's feet and the shield,
the Emu's back, Advance Australia and the centre top of the shield.
Arrows indicate the high points of this Australian coin design used between 1938 and 1952.
Includes florin, shilling, sixpence and threepence.
The first point on the obverse that
indicates wear is the hair above the ear where the design has a slight bulge and
the cheek below the eye. Other areas to look at are the top of the ear and the
eyebrow.
This design is a lot harder to grade
as most of the design has rounded features, unlike the George V coins with all
their sharp bits. It becomes even more difficult when dealing with weakly struck
coins.
You need to concentrate on the definition in the hair, the top of
the ear and the fields to look for wear and surface marks. Unlike the George V
coins where you can basically grade on a couple of points, you need to take more
time and look at the whole surface of the George VI coins in order to grade
them. Once again you need to
look at the fields as well as the design for scratches and other handling
indicators. Toning can also hide very light surface marks.
A weak strike shows in the lack of definition of the hair, ear, eye, mouth and
nose.
Arrows indicate the high points of this Australian coin design used between 1938 and
1963.
Florin only.
The high points of this coin design are the orb on top of the crown, the cross in the centre of
the crown, the Kangaroo's rib area just below the shoulder and the Emu's back.
Be aware that a weak strike will cause the high points to lose definition and lack sharpness.
The features of the crown actually look flattened and the leaves behind each
animal lose definition and become smaller. The coat of arms surround has a fine
pattern which also fades as the strike gets weaker.
Arrows indicate the high points of this Australian coin design used between 1953 and
1963.
Includes florin, shilling, sixpence and threepence.
The high points of these coins are the hair and
shoulder but once again the whole coin has to be looked at.
A weak strike will show in a lack of definition in the shoulder, hair, wreath and
the back of the eye.
Arrows indicate the high points of this Australian coin design used between 1938 and
1963.
Shilling only.
The pictured shilling is a nice example of a flat
strike resulting from a worn die. It shows that the detailed texture of the wool
is missing, particularly from the forehead and first bulge under the chin. The
forehead is also flattened out. This is why you need to look at the whole coin
including lustre, the fields, denticles and rim condition when grading.
Arrows indicate the high points of this Australian coin design used between 1938 and
196
4.
Threepence only.
The threepence is a hard coin to grade because of its size. The
fine detail of the design is quite often missing and the whole coin must be
taken into account when grading.
A weak strike shows in the lack of definition in the individual grains in the
wheat stalks, the loops around the stalks and the wrinkles in the ribbon. The
individual grains in the bottom third of the wheat stalks actually get smaller
and separate as the die wears and the strike weakens.
For all coins:
You need look at the fields (the flat areas) of the design because even light
handling can show up in the fields as tiny surface scratches. The coin
may be uncirculated so you can also look for patina and mint lustre. Be aware that
the toning on a coin can hide very light handling marks.