Penny 1945, Coin from Australia

Penny 1945, Coin from Australia (withdrawn 1966)

Coin	Penny 1945

The Australian penny coin was a small circulating denomination of the Australian Pound. It has the same dimensions and composition as the British pre-decimal penny, from which it is derived (for a time, the coins circulated in parallel and were interchangeable in Australia - but not in the United Kingdom; the currencies were fixed at par). It was worth one twelfth of an Australian shilling and 1/240 of an Australian pound.

The reverse of the first type of Australian penny coins featured text only. In 1938, this new design by George Kruger Gray superseded it - featuring the iconic leaping kangaroo.

Coins issued in 1945 were withdrawn at decimalisation in 1966 after 21 years in circulation, but have never been formally demonetised and are still legal tender.

Mint	Mint mark	Total Mintage
Perth Mint	Y.	15,172,800 (15.2 million)
Bombay Mint	.PENNY.	6
Melbourne Mint	No mint mark	unknown

Obverse

The obverse of the coin shows the bare (uncrowned) head of King George VI facing left.

Below the neck truncation in small letters, the artist's initials HP (for [Thomas] Humphrey Paget).

Around, the monarch's legend: GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.. Translated from Latin: George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

Krause also reports six examples struck by the Bombay Mint, which would have been indicated by the letter I (for India) below the King's head.

Obverse Inscription	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.

Reverse

Kangaroo leaping to the left; around above, the legend AUSTRALIA.

Around below, the denomination PENNY; the seven pointed Federation star is in the field to the left of the kangaroo and the date 1945 is in the field below its tail.

The artist's initials KG (for [George] Kruger Gray) are above the tip of the kangaroo's tail.

The dot after the denomination is the mint mark for the Perth Mint on this issue: PENNY. (listed as "Y." in catalogues). The dots before and after the denomination: .PENNY. on the reverse would indicate a coin struck by the Bombay Mint (six examples are reported by Krause). The Melbourne Mint produced a small number of proofs which have no mint mark.

Reverse Inscription	AUSTRALIA 1945 PENNY

Edge	Plain	Edge Inscription	None

Notes

Some proof coins were produced by the Melbourne Mint, but this denomination was not struck at Melbourne for circulation in 1945. Krause also lists 6 (six) coins struck at the Bombay Mint.

Krause catalogues list mintage of the Perth mint as 15,173,000. The Australian Coin Chart 1965 lists mintage of the Perth Mint as 10,125,600.

References to additional information:

[Article] Sharples, John P. Perth Mint Proof Record Coins 1940 - 1954. Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia. 8

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Penny 1945: Known varieties

Variety	KG.
Mintage	Issued: unknown
Details	Dot after KG on the reverse.
Variety	Proof (Perth Mint)
Images
Mintage	Issued: unknown
Variety	Proof (Melbourne Mint)
Images
Mintage	Issued: unknown

Penny 1945: References to Information Used

Source	Edition	About	Link	Notes
Museums Victoria Collections	2016	Coin description	link
Renniks, Australian Coin and Banknote Values	1965	Mint
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins	1988	Mint		Melbourne Mint proof
Renniks, Australian Coin and Banknote Values	1965	Mintage
Renniks, Australian Coin and Banknote Values		Varieties		Proof (Melbourne Mint)
Australian Coin Chart	1965	Varieties		KG.
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins	1971	Varieties		Proof (Perth Mint)

All (53) coins of type: Penny

Coin Name	Mintage	Effigy	Legend
Penny 1911	3,768,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1912	3,600,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1913	2,520,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1914	720,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1915	2,280,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1916	3,324,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1917	6,240,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1918	1,200,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1919	5,810,160	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1920	9,041,600	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1921	7,438,320	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1922	12,697,440	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1923	5,654,400	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1924	4,665,840	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1925	1,639,200	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1926	1,860,000	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1927	4,922,450	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1928	3,038,400	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1929	2,599,200	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1930	unknown	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1931	494,400	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1932	2,116,800	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1933	5,817,600	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1934	5,808,100	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1935	3,724,900	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1936	9,890,400	King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Penny 1937 (pattern)	12	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1938	5,552,650	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1939	6,240,000	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1940	5,188,800	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1941	14,382,800	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1942	21,244,800	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1943	53,198,400	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1944	29,942,000	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1945	15,172,806	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1946	240,000	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1947	11,174,400	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1948	28,150,000	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Penny 1949	27,064,800	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Penny 1950	57,846,800	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Penny 1951	52,128,000	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Penny 1952	57,922,000	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Penny 1953	13,138,816	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Penny 1955	17,447,101	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1956	25,994,917	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1957	15,979,112	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1958	24,443,334	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1959	16,048,136	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1960	20,516,230	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1961	30,608,240	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1962	34,852,664	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1963	10,259,660	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Penny 1964	64,590,401	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	+ ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :

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Penny 1945: Details

Country	Australia
Currency	Australian Pound
Coin Type	Penny - Kangaroo
Issued	1945
Monarch	King George VI
Effigy	King George VI - Bare Head, by Thomas Humphrey Paget
Face Value	1 (x Penny)
Total Mintage	15,172,806 (15.2 million)
Current	No; withdrawn 1966
Material	Bronze
Designer	George Kruger Gray
Technology	Milled (machine-made)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size	30.8000 mm
Mass	9.4500 g
OCC ID	RDKL-MOMK-CVKZ-ONZB

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Penny 1945: Photos

Image	Details
	Proof Coin - 1 Penny, Australia, 1945 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Naomi Andrzejeski Notes: Proof. Perth Mint. Source
	Proof Coin - 1 Penny, Australia, 1945 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Naomi Andrzejeski Notes: Proof. Perth Mint. Source
	Proof Coin - 1 Penny, Australia, 1945 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Naomi Andrzejeski Notes: Proof. Melbourne Mint. Source
	Proof Coin - 1 Penny, Australia, 1945 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Naomi Andrzejeski Notes: Proof. Melbourne Mint. Source

Penny 1945: Catalogue Reference IDs

Source	Reference ID
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins	Australia KM# 36
Schön, Weltmünzkatalog	Australien Schön# 23
Renniks, Australian Coin and Banknote Values	B50 (Perth Mint) and B50A (KG.)
Australian Coin Chart	P52 (Perth Mint) and P52a (KG.)

Relevant Links

Museums Victoria: Proof Coin - 1 Penny, Australia, 1945 (Perth Mint)

Penny 1945, Coin from Australia - detailed information