Australia 1922 (P?) Penny (English Obverse)

Mint:	Perth	Mintage:	Part 8,685,640 Estimate 435,000	Milling:	Plain
Weight:	9.45 grams	Diameter:	30.8 mm	Composition:	97% Copper, 2.5% Zinc, 0.5% Tin

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Obverse 1 - English

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Reverse B - Birmingham

Designer:	Sir (Edgar) Bertram Mackennal (Initials 'B.M.' raised on truncation)
Design:	Left facing profile of George V
Legend:	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: •
Denticle Count:	177 teeth
Mint mark:	None
Characteristics:	Upstroke on 'N' of 'OMN' falls between two denticles

Designer:	William Henry James Blakemore (no attribution)
Design:	'ONE PENNY' surrounded by 90 beads contained within concentric circles
Legend:	• COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA •
Denticle Count:	177 teeth
Mint mark:	None
Characteristics:	Apex of first 'A' of 'AUSTRALIA' falls between two denticles Apex of second 'A' of 'AUSTRALIA' aligns with a denticle Apex of last 'A' of 'AUSTRALIA' aligns with a denticle Straight based letters in legend On this variety the '9' in the date appears upright against the '1' in the date

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Value

BM Ad NP	8 Good VG10	10 VG F12	12 about F F15	15 Fine VF20	20 good F VF25	25 about VF VF30	30 Very Fine VF35	35 good VF EF40	40 about EF EF45	45 Ext Fine AU50	50 good EF AU53	53 about Unc AU55	58+ virt Unc AU58	58-60 Uncirc MS60	58-61 Uncirc MS61	58-62 Uncirc MS62	63-64 Choice Unc MS63	64-65 near Gem MS64	65-66 Gem MS65	66-67 Gem MS66	67-68 Gem MS67	68 near Flaw MS68	69 virt Flaw MS69	70 Flawless MS70	Proof
B	$2 + NGC PCGS	$3 + NGC PCGS	$4 + NGC PCGS	$5 + NGC PCGS	$8 + NGC PCGS	$10 + NGC PCGS	$20 + NGC PCGS	$30 + NGC PCGS	$60 + NGC PCGS	$75 + NGC PCGS	$125 + NGC PCGS	$175 + NGC PCGS	$250 + NGC PCGS	$350 + NGC PCGS	$450 + NGC PCGS	$600 + NGC PCGS	$1250 + NGC PCGS	$2250 + NGC PCGS	$3500 + NGC PCGS	$6000 + NGC PCGS	$11500 + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	N
RB	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	$150 + NGC PCGS	$200 + NGC PCGS	$300 + NGC PCGS	$400 + NGC PCGS	$500 + NGC PCGS	$750 + NGC PCGS	$1500 + NGC PCGS	$2500 + NGC PCGS	$4000 + NGC PCGS	$7000 + NGC PCGS	$12500 + NGC PCGS	$25000 + NGC PCGS	$60000 + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	N
R	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	$500 + NGC PCGS	$750 + NGC PCGS	$1500 + NGC PCGS	$2500 + NGC PCGS	$4000 + NGC PCGS	$7000 + NGC PCGS	$12500 + NGC PCGS	$25000 + NGC PCGS	$70000 + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	N

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Benchmark

Adjectival

NGC/PCGS

Collectable grades

Does not exist by definition

Investment grades

Unlikely to exist

Aspirational grades

Bullion or metal value

Not known in these grades

Value as above

Proof

Y (Yes)
N (Not known)

Last updated August 2020

Notes:

Although it had received a fresh stock of Birmingham reverse hubs from London in January 1922, the Melbourne Mint still favoured working-dies derived from its emergency 1919 //. Birmingham master-die which it had back-engineered from a working-die it had previously received from London. Dies derived from this source are identifiable by their slightly modified legend and account for approximately 95% of the 1922 'English' obverse pennies that were struck. Only about 5% of 1922 'English' obverse pennies were struck on the new unaltered 'Birmingham' reverse with 'flat-based' letters raising the distinct possibility that these were an experimental striking by the Perth Mint.

In practice the Melbourne Mint chose to use of its 'modified' reverse dies right through the 1920s and beyond. The exceptions occurred immediately after it received a fresh supply of new master dies and hubs such as occurred when it struck a small 'experimental' run of 1920 ‘//.’ pennies with an ‘English’ obverse on an unaltered Calcutta reverse, and in 1923 when it struck pennies on a newly arrived ‘London’ reverse hub. As evidence, the vast majority of Melbourne's 1920 pennies were struck on a 'modified Calcutta' reverse die and, before it struck its first pennies in 1924 it had 'modified' the master dies derived from the new 1923 'London' reverse hub to better suit its parochial tastes.

In a strange mintage the Melbourne Mint experimented with both the 'English' and 'Indian obverses in 1931 and coupled them with an 'unaltered Birmingham' reverse it had not used since 1921 and an ‘unaltered London’ reverse that it received in November 1930. To paraphase W.J. Mullet, a senior officer of the Melbourne Mint, a hub used to produce the 1921 pennies had a '2' removed and a '3' inserted on the subsequent master die. Both 1931 Penny varieties with the 'Birmingham' reverse closely match the reverse on the 1921 Penny with the 'English' obverse which would seem to affirm this connection. Like both the 1931 'Birmingham' reverse pennies, the 1921 'English' obverse Penny has predominantly straight based letters in the legend. However, it appears that such was the pride in its work that the Mint abandoned both these 'unaltered' reverses and in 1932 reverted to use of its ‘modified Birmingham’ reverse which it continued to use until the last George V pennies were struck in 1936.

In light of this established preference it would seem reasonable to assume that the ten reverse dies sent to Perth for the production of the 1922 pennies were of the 'unaltered Birmingham' type and that it was responsible for the small mintage of 'English' obverse 1922 pennies with the 'unaltered Birmingham' reverse.

In late 1922, the Melbourne Mint received directly from London a new 'Indian' obverse master die. However, this was not put to immediate use and Melbourne continued to use the 'English' obverse on its pennies. Melbourne reserved its new 'Indian' master until it stuck limited numbers of the 1929, 1930 and 1931 'Indian' obverse pennies. It is therefore certain that all 1922 Indian obverse pennies were struck by the Perth Mint on surplus dies that were sent to it by Sydney via Melbourne and Calcutta.