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Australian Florins

1939 Australian Silver Florin

Sterling Silver
1939 was the first year of WWII, the world was gearing up for the coming events, coins were of low priority.

Collectors will have noticed that high grade 1939 florins rarely come onto the market. If patient they do appear and are often hotly contested. Grades lower than Uncirculated appear quite regularly, coins of higher grade are quite scarce.

Mintage
630,000
In 1938, the Coat of Arms which had graced the previous issues but had been obsolete since 1912 was replaced with a new and more stylized version. The reverse design was in fact originally planned to grace the coronation coins of Edward VIII.
Kruger-Grey made two departures from the official Coat of Arms, one by design , the other was accidental. Australia's Federation Star was replaced with a oversized crown and the Coat of Arms for South Australia which should have been a Piping Shrike showed three stalks of wheat and a rising sun.

Points to consider when grading the obverse are:
  • the King's eyebrow;
  • the top of the ear;
  • definition in the hair;
  • the sharpness of details on the denticles and lettering;
  • the rim for dents and nicks;
  • A weak strike will show in the hair, ear, eye, mouth and nose.

Specifications
Composition: .925 silver
Silver Content: 0.3363 oz
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 11.31 grams
Size: 28.5 mm
Obverse: Thomas H Paget
Reverse: George Kruger Gray

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