1923 Sixpence

Mintage
Designation | X23M.2A | X23S.2B
Mint | Melbourne | Sydney
Mint mark | none | none
Mintage | (206,000) | 1,248,000

Some commentary needs to be made about the above table.

Standard numismatic literature states that the Melbourne and Sydney coins cannot be distinguished. That may not be true. It is quite likely that all the 1923-dated sixpences were minted in Sydney and that the Melbourne coins all bore a date of 1922.

According to an entry dated 30/4/23 in the Melbourne die account book, 12 working dies were prepared from a new 1923 master reverse hub supplied by the Royal Mint, London. All twelve dies were shipped to the Sydney Mint, and are recorded in the Sydney Mint's die account book as having arrived there on 17/5/23. No doubt these working dies were used for most or all of the Sydney strikes. Since none of the dies was retained in Melbourne, it seems quite likely that the 200,000 coins minted there were struck using the 1922 dies.

There remains the faint possibility that 1923-dated working dies were prepared from older punches in Melbourne. If that is so then there may be some quite rare Melbourne coins with the older reverse pattern (designated X23M.2A) which is distinguishable from the Sydney coin.

Reverse of 1923 sixpence

| X23S.2B This unassuming little coin was the first in a new series marked by the adoption of a new reverse master die with more centrally-aligned devices and 143 rim denticles. Used until 1963, this die enjoyed a longer life than any other in the entire Australian Commonwealth series.

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Most recent revision: 20th April 2001
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