Important
ERROR COINS
March 2013
Only TEN examples known!
One of Australia’s rarest circulating coins…
A
mong Australia’s most important, most
celebrated and most fascinating rarities,
it is with great delight that Downies can
present the 1916I Halfpenny Mule. A rarity of
world standing, the coin before you is one of
only TEN known examples!
First discovered in 1965, and seldom seen on the
market, the 1916I Halfpenny Mule is shrouded
in mystery. The production of Australian copper
coins was transferred from Britain to India during
World War I, in a bid to allay concerns about
Germany’s navy intercepting coinage shipments,
and from 1916 to 1918, Australian halfpennies
were struck at the Calcutta branch of the Royal
Mint. Created by the accidental combination of a
traditional Australian halfpenny reverse die with
an obverse die for India’s similarly sized copper
Quarter Anna, the presumption is that the 1916I
Halfpenny Mule was struck at the Calcutta Mint.
Whilst the creation of this coin may be steeped
in mystery, there is no mystery about its extreme
rarity. Instantly recognisable due to the English
obverse inscription, rather than the Latin legend
found on Australian coins, as well as the
presence of an elephant motif upon the chain
hanging around the King’s neck, the 1916I
Halfpenny Mule is known by no more than ten
examples. There is no doubt that it is one of the
rarest circulating coinage types in Australian
history.
Distinguished by the obverse legend,
which is rendered in English
rather than Latin, as well as
the elephant motif upon the
portrait of George V, the
1916I Halfpenny Mule
was created through the
accidental matching of
an India Quarter Anna
obverse die with an
Australian Halfpenny
reverse die
As illustrated by iconic coins such as
the 1922/21 3d Overdate and the
1930 Penny, condition is largely
irrelevant where extreme rarity is
apparent. The 1916I Halfpenny
Mule is another excellent casein-point. Despite the fact that it is
not known in anything better than
Very Fine, this high-profile rarity
has soared in catalogue value
since discovered in 1965 in the
lead-up to decimalisation.
Graded at about Fine, we naturally
have only the single example
of this celebrated rarity in stock,
and it is sure to be snapped up
instantaneously. The first time in more
than 15 years that we have offered this
exceptionally important, excessively rare
Australian coin, how many years will you
have to wait before the opportunity to secure the
1916I Halfpenny Mule emerges again?
CALL (02) 9299 4131
1300 789 847
1916 Halfpenny Mule about Fine
$95,000
to speak to our Rarities expert
David Jobson
to speak to our VIP Client Liaison Jessica Templeton
www.downies.com
Highly Important Coins & Banknotes
A spectacular array of Errors!
In our 80 years in the industry, we have
assembled many outstanding Error coin
selections – but never one as spectacular as this!
An astonishing array of Error types, from both
Australia and around the world, the range
of coins before you exemplifies perfectly
the dramatic nature of one of the strongest
performing areas of numismatics over the last
decade. Double-struck, off-struck, clipped
planchets, double-headed, mules, incorrect
blanks, elliptical flans, broad flans, reverse
brockages…virtually the full gamut of Error
types are found in this brochure.
Not only visually spectacular, Error types such
as these are also generally very rare. Quality
control at Australian mints has always been
Halfpenny Errors
Item Description
Price
very good, especially in the years before World
War II, and Errors seldom get through the
system. Some do indeed get through, however
– as evidenced by the incredibly dramatic, and
incredibly obvious, Error coins presented here!
A wonderful selection, we have in most cases
only one example of each Error type in stock.
First in, best dressed!
Item Description
10 1941 Penny 15% off struck gEF
11 1962 Penny 15% off struck Unc
Price
$295
$295
Item 1
1
2
1942Y Halfpenny full reverse brockage EF
1948 Halfpenny off struck VF
3
4
5
1948Y Halfpenny full reverse brockage Unc
1951 Halfpenny off struck EF
1954 Halfpenny off struck EF
6
7
1959 Halfpenny broad strike Unc
1961 Halfpenny off struck EF
$2,995
$195
Item 12
12
13
1964 Penny 15% off struck Unc
1964 Penny 15% off struck Unc
14
1964 Penny 25% off-centre strike Unc
15
1953-64 Penny 90% off struck – Unc. Superb example
and seldom seen
$295
$295
Item 3
$2,995
$195
$195
Item 14
Item 6
$500
$195
$695
Item 15
$2,750
Threepence Errors
Item Description
Item 8
8
1964 Halfpenny off struck Unc
$195
Penny Errors
Item Description
Price
Price
Item 16
16
17
18
19
20
1948 Threepence off struck Unc
1952 Threepence off struck EF
1961 Threepence off struck EF
1962 Threepence off struck Unc
1963 Threepence off struck EF
$195
$129
$129
$129
$129
Sixpence Errors
Item Description
Price
Item 9
9
1924 Penny struck through foreign object Unc – superb
quality
Page 2
CALL (02) 9299 4131
1300 789 847
$2,995
Item 21
to speak to our Rarities expert
David Jobson
to speak to our VIP Client Liaison Jessica Templeton
www.downies.com
Highly Important Coins & Banknotes
Item Description
Price
21
$795
1948 Sixpence double struck EF
Price
Item 32
Item 22
22
23
Item Description
1957 Sixpence 35% off struck Unc
1962 Sixpence off struck Unc
32
1954 Shilling flip over brockage EF – rare and interesting
error
33
1961 Shilling struck on elliptical flan Choice Unc – superb
example
$695
$295
$2,500
Item 33
Item 24
24
1962 Sixpence partial brockage VF
$329
$995
Florin Errors
Item Description
Price
Item 25
25
26
1963 Sixpence off struck Unc
1963 Sixpence off struck VF
$295
$250
Item 34
34
1947 Florin raised lip VF
$295
35
1963 Florin struck on elliptical flan Unc
Item 27
27
1953-63 Sixpence struck on elliptical flan VF – slight
scratch
$495
Shilling Errors
Item Description
Price
Item 35
$995
Decimal Errors
Item Description
Price
Item 28
28
1946 Shilling 45% off-centre strike VF
$695
Item 36
36
1988 $1 clipped planchet Unc
37
2005 $1 15% off struck Unc
38
2009 $2 double struck Unc
$249
Item 29
29
1950 Shilling double struck gVF
$1,495
Item 37
$795
Item 30
30
31
1952 Shilling off struck VF
1952 Shilling off struck VF
Page 3
CALL (02) 9299 4131
1300 789 847
$250
$250
Item 38
to speak to our Rarities expert
David Jobson
to speak to our VIP Client Liaison Jessica Templeton
www.downies.com
$1,950
HighlyImportant
ImportantCoins
Coins&&Banknotes
Banknotes
Highly
Item Description
Price
World Errors
Item Description
Price
Item 39
39
40
1985-89 2c struck on 5c blank Unc
2c struck on 1c blank Unc
$2,500
$795
Item 47
47
British West Africa 1956 ‘Mule’ George VI obv
w/Elizabeth II rev aUnc/Unc
$950
Item 41
41
42
2c struck on 1c blank Unc full red
2c struck on 1c blank Unc full red
$795
$795
Item 48
48
GB 1773 Farthing double struck aVF
49
GB 1860 Penny brockage gVF/EF
$1,500
Item 43
43
2007 5c ‘double head’ aUnc
$2,995
Item 49
Item 44
44
1982 10c clipped planchet Unc
$195
Item 50
Item 45
45
$3,950
1999-2010 10c struck on 5c blank Unc w/scuff marks
50
$995
GB Penny on Farthing Blank EF
$5,000
Item 51
51
Jamaica Penny struck on Farthing blank Choice Unc
Item 52
Item 46
46
1966 Wavy Base 20c PCGS MS63
$3,995
52
Russian 5 kopeks full obverse brockage gVF
ADDRESS:
Shop 5, Town Hall Square
464–480 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000
TELEPHONE:
(02) 9299 4131
Mon–Fri 9am – 5pm
Thurs until 6pm, Sat 10am – 3pm
FAX:
(02) 9261 4199
EMAIL:
[email protected]
© 2013 – All rights reserved. Every Downies catalogue is printed on environmentally friendly chlorine-free and acid-free paper manufactured by an accredited mill. Both paper manufacturer and printer are accredited to ISO14001,
the internationally recognised standard to Environmental Management. All items offered are subject to being sold out prior to receipt of order. Coins may be photographed not at actual size. This list cancels all previous direct selling
lists. Prices shown are subject to change without notice. Prices may include GST. Please note some coins in this publication are not necessarily shown at actual size.
Page 4
CALL (02) 9299 4131
1300 789 847
$15,000
to speak to our Rarities expert
David Jobson
to speak to our VIP Client Liaison Jessica Templeton
www.downies.com
$3,500