20 Cents - Elizabeth II 2nd Portrait

20 Cents - Elizabeth II (2nd Portrait) - obverse20 Cents - Elizabeth II (2nd Portrait) - reverse

© Mike Bentley (CC BY-NC)

Features

Issuer Australia
Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022)
Type Standard circulation coin
Years 1966-1984
Value 20 Cents
0.20 AUD = USD 0.13
Currency Dollar (1966-date)
Composition Copper-nickel (75% Copper, 25% Nickel)
Weight 11.31 g
Diameter 28.52 mm
Thickness 2 mm
Shape Round
Technique Milled
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Number
N#
1003
References KM# 66,
Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. Standard Catalog of World Coins / 2001-Date (14th edition). Krause Publications, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States.
And 5 more volumes.
Schön# 53
Gerhard Schön; 2022. Weltmünzkatalog / 20. Jahrhundert: 1901-2000 (47. Auflage). Battenberg Gietl Verlag, Regenstauf, Germany.
And 1 more volumes.

Obverse

2nd portrait of Queen Elizabeth II facing right wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

Script: Latin

Lettering:
ELIZABETH II
AUSTRALIA 1979

Designer: Arnold Machin

Reverse

Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) and the numeral "20"

Script: Latin

Lettering:
20
SD

Designer: Stuart Devlin

Edge

Reeded

20 Cents - Elizabeth II (2nd Portrait) -  obverse

© Mike Bentley (CC BY-NC)

Mints

Royal Australian Mint, Canberra, Australia (1965-date)
Royal Canadian Mint of Winnipeg, Canada (1976-date)
Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London, United Kingdom (1810-1975)
Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom (1968-date)

Comments

One of the coins introduced in 1966 at the commencement of decimal currency is this iconic Platypus 20 cent coin. The reverse was designed by Stuart Devlin. The coin has remained in production and circulation with the same reverse up to the current date and is now on its 4th Obverse. (Machin, Makleouf, Rank-Broadly & Clark)

These are images of the first Proof & BU Set containing the coin in 1966.


No Proof or UNC Sets were produced in 1967 or 1968.

While many millions of 20 cent coins were minted in 1983 & 1984, almost the entire production run was melted down and exported as base metal cupro-nickel bars due to lack of demand. Only one x $200 uncirculated mint roll box of each year has surfaced to date. So while nearly 83 million were minted in these 2 years combined only 2,000 are known to exist.

A Fine Silver (.999) Proof version of this coin was included in the 2006 40 Yrs of Decimal Currency Fine Silver Proof Set. (See link)

The two different mintmarks on the 1966 coin, thanks to
http://www.australian-threepence.com/blog/2010/03/australian-1966-20c-mint-marks.html


The 1981 coins were struck at three different places:
 20 cents 1981 Canberra & Wales Mint (left picture) with 4 full thick claws of the platypus under the 2 of the 20
 20 cents 1981 Winnipeg Mint (right picture) with 3 full thin claws and 1 half claw there:



In 1966 the 20 cent piece was minted in 2 different locations. About half of those coins were minted in Canberra and half in London at the Royal Mint in Birmingham. Of the 30 million coins minted in London just one of the dies that were used to press those coins was different.
The oddity is that one die had a small differing feature. This variety is in the base of the 2 of the 20 on the reverse of the coin. There is an upward curve in that baseline of the 2 often called a wave, thus the nickname the ‘wavy 20’ or ‘wavy baseline 20 cent’. You’ll also note a corresponding indentation in the water swirl above the wave. By comparison the normal reverse 20 cent has no wave in either the base of the 2 or the water above the baseline.

This is an image of a Wavy "2" 1966 20 Cent coin.



These are images of the famous 1981 scalloped error coin struck on a Hong Kong $2 Planchet by the Royal Mint.

images courtesy of www.sterlingcurrency.com.au

A 1978 Mule coin is known to exist. An Australian 20 cent obverse was paired with a Fiji 20 cent reverse.

See also

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Date Mintage G VG F VF XF AU UNC Frequency
1966  0.02% BU Twelve Coin Set; Hendo
1966  77 250 $ 6.50 0.3% BU Year Set; Blue Card
1966  15 809 0.04% BU Year Set; Blue Vinyl Wallet
1966  70 0.01% BU Year Set; Operation Fastbuck Wallet
1966  12 260 0.03% BU Year Set; Reserve Bank Coloured Wallet
1966  520 0.02% BU Year Set; VIP Presentation Wallet
1966  28 223 000 $ 0.13 $ 0.13 $ 0.21 $ 0.38 $ 0.43 $ 0.57 $ 1.30 20% Circulation - Canberra Mint - Gap between water swirl and platypus head
1966  30 000 000 $ 0.12 $ 0.13 $ 0.25 $ 0.25 $ 0.25 $ 0.57 6% Circulation - London Mint - Small or no gap between water swirl and platypus head
1966  0.18% Circulation - London Mint - Wavy 2
1966  18 054 0.6% Proof Year Set; Open
1966  12 0% Proof Year Set; Sealed
1967  83 848 000 $ 0.14 $ 0.14 $ 0.33 $ 0.43 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 $ 8.70 29% Circulation
1968  40 537 000 $ 0.14 $ 0.14 $ 0.22 $ 0.33 $ 1.90 17% Circulation
1969  14 351 0.12% BU Year Set; Blue Wallet
1969  16 825 0.02% BU Year Set; Red Wallet
1969  16 520 000 $ 0.13 $ 0.16 $ 0.43 $ 1.10 9% Circulation
1969  13 056 0.2% Proof Year Set
1970  40 230 $ 0.64 0.2% BU Year Set
1970  23 721 000 $ 0.13 $ 0.14 $ 0.14 $ 0.54 $ 0.86 $ 1.90 $ 15 12% Circulation
1970  15 368 0.3% Proof Year Set
1971  28 572 0.17% BU Year Set
1971  8 947 000 $ 0.33 $ 0.37 $ 1.10 5% Circulation
1971  10 066 0.15% Proof Year Set
1972  39 065 0.15% BU Year Set
1972  16 643 000 $ 0.13 $ 0.14 $ 0.38 $ 0.38 $ 1.60 $ 9.90 8% Circulation
1972  10 272 0.18% Proof Year Set
1973  30 928 0.10% BU Year Set
1973  23 356 000 $ 0.14 $ 0.24 $ 1.10 $ 1.10 $ 16 10% Circulation
1973  10 090 0.19% Proof Year Set
1974  25 475 0.11% BU Year Set
1974  33 548 000 $ 0.21 $ 0.26 $ 0.33 $ 0.74 $ 1.60 $ 9.80 13% Circulation
1974  10 918 $ 24 0.2% Proof Year Set
1975  30 121 0.19% BU Year Set
1975  53 300 000 $ 0.10 $ 0.40 $ 0.40 $ 0.40 $ 0.63 $ 0.65 17% Circulation
1975  23 021 $ 8.10 0.4% Proof Year Set
1976  40 004 0.2% BU Year Set
1976  59 774 000 $ 0.12 $ 0.33 $ 0.33 $ 0.33 $ 0.87 $ 1.00 $ 2.00 19% Circulation
1976  21 200 $ 8.50 0.3% Proof Year Set
1977  128 010 0.3% BU Year Set
1977  41 272 000 $ 0.13 $ 0.39 $ 0.39 $ 0.39 $ 0.39 $ 0.39 $ 2.50 14% Circulation
1977  55 006 $ 7.30 0.5% Proof Year Set
1978  70 006 $ 13 0.3% BU Year Set
1978  37 432 000 $ 0.12 $ 0.19 $ 0.19 $ 0.33 $ 0.36 $ 0.54 $ 2.10 13% Circulation
1978  1 0.01% Mule - Australia Obverse - Fiji Reverse; see comments
1978  38 519 0.4% Proof Year Set
1979  70 006 0.2% BU Year Set
1979  22 300 000 $ 0.13 $ 0.14 $ 0.14 $ 0.49 $ 0.91 8% Circulation
1979  36 006 0.2% Proof Year Set
1980  100 000 $ 13 0.4% BU Year Set
1980  84 357 000 $ 0.10 $ 0.10 $ 0.33 $ 0.41 $ 0.41 $ 0.41 $ 2.70 21% Circulation
1980  68 000 0.5% Proof Year Set
1981  120 000 $ 2.40 0.3% BU Year Set
1981  65 280 000 $ 0.13 $ 0.22 $ 0.22 $ 0.49 $ 0.53 $ 1.00 $ 1.00 30% Circulation - Canberra Mint
1981  65 503 000 0.5% Circulation - Wales Mint
1981  50 000 000 $ 0.18 $ 0.23 $ 0.24 $ 1.10 4% Circulation - Winnipeg Mint; Short left claw
1981  86 100 $ 2.90 0.7% Proof Year Set
1981  6 0.08% Struck on a Hong Kong 2 Dollar planchet
1982  195 950 $ 3.50 0.4% BU Year Set
1982  76 604 000 $ 0.10 $ 0.13 $ 0.49 $ 0.49 $ 0.49 $ 0.49 $ 1.10 14% Circulation
1982  100 000 0.4% Proof Year Set
1983  155 700 0.3% BU Year Set
1983  55 113 000 $ 22 0.7% Circulation (Melted Down)
1983  80 000 0.3% Proof Year Set
1984  150 014 $ 1.20 0.6% BU Year Set
1984  27 820 000 $ 1.20 0.9% Meant for Circulation (But melted down)
1984  61 000 0.3% Proof Year Set

Values in the table above are expressed in USD. They are based on evaluations by Numista users and sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only; they are not intended to be relied upon for buying, selling or exchanging. Numista does not buy or sell coins or banknotes.

Frequencies show the percentage of Numista users who own each year or variety among all the users who own this coin. Since some users own several versions, the sum may be greater than 100%.

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Past sales

Pictures Sale Date Version Grade Sold price
Heritage Auctions
Wednesday & Thursday World & Ancient Coins Select Auction 232329
Lot 63219
Internet Archive
13 Jul 2023 Undetermined UNC
(PCGS MS64)
USD 1560.00
(incl. buyer's premium)
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