History of 1930 Penny
1930 Penny is one of the most rare and searched coin of any time in Australia. A 1930 Penny in good condition can fetch enough money to buy a house in Sydney.
What makes it a collector rare jewel is number of it was made and mystery surrounding about its existence.
It was year 1930 when world was in grip of Great Depression of 1929, wages were low and hence no new coins needs to be made to replace current one or issue any new ones.
Mystery surrounding the coin existence was so much that no one until 1940’s knew of the coins existence and in being circulation.
Even the records from Melbourne Mint then acting as Mint for Australian Government shows that no Penny was made in 1930’s for circulation.
People started searching all the coins trying to look for 1930 Penny. After some 50 coins were discovered Melbourne Mint acknowledged that pennies were struck for Museums and were put through into circulation.
In 1987 Melbourne Mint offered explanation for 1930 Penny, it was the time when Mint was considering to produce its own dies to make own coinage rather than relying on UK or Indian branch of the Mint and it was during this tenure that coin was struck as experiments as it was quiet period for the Mint.
Nevertheless the circumstances for making this coin was different so it has made coin so rare.