Two of Australia’s most legendary rare coins, the coveted 1930 penny, are heading to auction this week, giving collectors a rare chance to bid on not just one, but two examples.
Although pennies were everyday currency at the time, only about 1500 of the 1930 pennies are believed to exist. Struck at the Melbourne Mint during the Great Depression, the coin is thought to have been produced by mistake, as there was reportedly no formal Treasury request to mint pennies that year.
The pair of 1930 pennies will be offered at a Brisbane auction from Wednesday, with one already drawing an early bid of $16,000. The second is set to open at $17,500.
“Auction 154 offers collectors another opportunity to secure exceptional pieces, from legendary Australian rarities through to important international issues,” Roxbury’s Auction House Director Scott Waterman said.
The sale also includes rare banknotes such as the 1914/15 “Rainbow Pound”, with the one-pound notes produced quickly and without security features to address a currency shortage after war broke out, before being pulled from circulation in April 1915.
Collectors will also have the opportunity to bid for an 1813 New South Wales “Dump”, one of Australia’s earliest coins, and a standout international offering, the 1907 United States $20 High Relief Double Eagle, widely regarded as one of the most admired coin designs ever struck.
