Australian Sixpence

1951 Australian Silver Sixpence

50% Silver
With the outbreak of the Korean War, the US needed to equip their forces with winter uniforms, this lead to a uptake of wool from around the world. With Australia being a major supplier, this created an economic boom that forced the Australian Government to turn to the Royal Mint to provide extra coinage as the Melbourne Mint could not cope.

Mintage
20,024,000

The 1951 PL Sixpence are generally a very well struck coin displaying a small "PL" just under the crest on the reverse. The "PL" mintmark is thought to have originated from Ancient Roman times when the coins struck by the Roman authorities in London used a "PLN" mintmark to denote pecunia Londiniensis, (London money) or possibly for percussum Londinio, (Struck at London).
The George VI obverse gets quite difficult to properly grade in the Sixpence series.
Points to consider when grading the reverse are:
  • the Emu's back feathers;
  • the shoulder and haunches of the kangaroo;
  • the head of the emu;
  • the point of the Federation star;
  • the sharpness of details on the denticles, lettering, scroll and shield;
  • the rim for dents and nicks;
  • A weak strike will show in the grass and the shield, the Emu's back, Advance Australia and the centre top of the shield.


Specifications
Composition: .500 silver
Silver Content: 0.0455 oz
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 2.83 grams
Size: 19.0 mm
Obverse: Thomas H Paget
Reverse: W.H.J. Blakemore

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