Lot 80
Ex 'Benchmark Collection' and the finest graded. The first of this key date to be graded in Mint State
-
Literature:
- 355 Medium:
- Collectibles Circa:
- Coins, Monies & Stamps Notes:
- This is the first Australian 1923 Halfpenny that has been graded in Uncirculated or Mint State quality by both major grading services. The coin, ex the 'Benchmark Collection' was originally graded by NGC as MS62 BN, a grade which has recently been confirmed by PCGS which also graded it MS62 BN. The story behind the production of the 1923 Halfpenny remained a mystery for many years, and for a long time it was thought to be an unrecorded mintage of the Sydney Mint, however, the truth is equally intriguing. It is now known that in July 1923, the Melbourne Mint received an order to produce £1,000 of halfpennies and, in September of that year three pairs of dies were prepared. This was the first time that the Melbourne Mint had struck halfpennies and the dies were of such a poor standard that one pair of dies was immediately returned to the workshop. The two remaining pairs that were used deteriorated so quickly that the vast majority of 1923 halfpennies exhibit diagnostic die cracks particularly in the obverse legend - but not so the 'Benchmark' coin which is devoid of the usual die cracks which confirm it as an early strike and adding considerably to its rarity. Only a small number of coins, perhaps 15,000 in total, were struck before the dies ultimately failed making this one of the rarest halfpennies and, so of course open to forgery. The most common 1923 Halfpenny forgery found in old collections involved removing parts of the left side of the '8' in the date of the 1928 Halfpenny to approximate a ?3?. Besides the shape of the resultant '3' being thinner in form, the centre divide is also straight rather than with a downward tilt as occurs on the 'real' 1923 Halfpenny. The legend on the reverse of the 1923 Halfpenny is also straight based when compared to that of the 1928 Halfpenny which is slightly curved. The other commonly found forgery involved replacing the first '3' in the date of a 1933 Halfpenny with a '2', as most people are inclined to look at the last digit when determining whether a 1923 Halfpenny is genuine. Even if you can't pick the altered date you should look to the legend, as the 1933 Halfpenny has strong curvature to the base of the letters on the reverse when compared to the straight based letters found on a 'genuine' 1923 Halfpenny. More details regarding the 1923 Halfpenny can be found in the Benchmark Coin Catalogue of Australian Pre-decimal coins which is available in the Apple App store. Simply type in 'Australia Coin Values' to download your free copy.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Visa, Wire Transfer
Shipping
AUSTRALIA: Purchases within Australia will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $5.50 and will be sent by Registered Post. Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.
INTERNATIONAL: Overseas purchases will be charged a MINIMUM SHIPPING FEE of $20.00 and will be sent by Registered Post International. Additional insurance is optional at the buyer's expense.
Both Australian and International packages are traceable in transit and require a signature on delivery.
Smalls Auctions
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 18.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| A$0 | A$99 | A$5 |
| A$100 | A$999 | A$10 |
| A$1,000 | A$4,999 | A$50 |
| A$5,000 | A$9,999 | A$100 |
| A$10,000 + | A$250 |