Australia 1922/1 Threepence (Overdate)

Mint:	Melbourne	Mintage:	Part 5,704,000 Estimate 1,000	Milling:	Plain
Weight:	1.41 grams	Diameter:	16 mm	Composition:	92.5% Silver, 7.5% Copper

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Obverse 2 - English

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Reverse B - London

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:	121 teeth
Mint mark:	None

Designer:	William Henry James Blakemore (no attribution)
Design:	Star above a Kangaroo and Emu standing left and right of the Armorial Ensigns of the Commonwealth of Australia. 'ADVANCE AUSTRALIA' in ribbon below. ∋ ∈
Legend:	THREEPENCE
Denticle Count:	115 teeth
Mint mark:	None
Characteristics:	Upstroke of 'N' of 'THREEPENCE' aligns with a denticle '2' over '1' Overdate Raised pimple in the field at juncture of Kangaroo's legs

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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	$4000 + NGC PCGS 6	$5000 + NGC PCGS 6	$7500 + NGC PCGS 7	$11500 + NGC PCGS	$13500 + NGC PCGS 1	$20000 + NGC PCGS 2	$25000 + NGC PCGS	$30000 + NGC PCGS 1	$50000 + NGC PCGS	$60000 + NGC PCGS 1	$75000 + NGC PCGS	$90000 + NGC PCGS	$125000 + NGC 1 PCGS 1	$175000 + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + 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 July 2024

Notes:

The 1922/1 Overdate Threepence is a controversial coin appearing to be an early experiment by the Melbourne Mint to alter the date on a die. It is thought that in this instance the last figure on a working hub was simply hammered flat and a new figure was roughly re-entered on the ensuing die while it was still soft. Melbourne Mint had been experimenting with die work on pennies as early as 1919 and on the dies for the 1921 silver threepences and sixpences from which it had removed mint marks, but this would appear to be the first time that it attempted to re-enter a changed date on a Commonwealth coin. It is known that in 1922 the Melbourne Mint did not have the figure punches needed to alter dies, so either the mint fashioned its own tool to attempt the task, which would account for the crude result, or these unrecorded coins were struck after February, 1923 when the punches became available. What is certain is that this overdate is the product of just one experimental reverse die, as all examples have the same diagnostic pimple of metal in the reverse field at the juncture of the legs of the kangaroo. This rarity is usually found in only 'Very Good' condition and so this 'marker' may not be always apparent on heavily worn examples. However, buyers should be alerted to the fact that there was a flurry of 'identical' cast copies of the 1922/1 Overdate Threepence that hit the market in the early 1990s. These coins did not display this 'marker' but as another test were significantly underweight even for such a worn coin.