Australian Pre-Decimal Proofs
1960 Perth Mint
Penny, Halfpenny
The coins where sold loose as individual coins, rather than as a set with packaging consisting of wrapping them up in cellophane. Bronze coins after having been around for decades are now quite difficult to find in a fully brilliant state of preservation. The Perth Mint only produced bronze pennies and half pennies and often lightly lacquered these coins, as a result of this they can be more often found in BU condition.
Some of the general pointers to look for to distinguish Perth proofs from the normal circulation strikes are:
- The fields are flat with little of the light detraction caused by the normal rolled unpolished planchet for circulation strikes.
- Perth mint proofs from 1958 to 1963 have matte fields with the design mirror-like ( similar to modern frosted Unc issues )
- The rim is sharp and flat, with a definite right angle on the edge, the circulation strikes are slightly rounded.
- The Perth mint always ground down any extrusions on the rim, evidence of this may be seen under magnification
- The beads are almost always near perfect
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